ハリケーン「ヘリーン」死者、１１８人に　トランプ氏が対応批判

【バルドスタ（米国）ＡＦＰ＝時事】米南東部を襲ったハリケーン「ヘリーン」による死者は、９月３０日時点で１１８人に達した。ハリケーン被害をめぐってはドナルド・トランプ前大統領が政府の対応が遅いと批判しているのに対し、ホワイトハウスが反論するなど、大統領選を控え論点の一つとなっている。（写真は、ハリケーン「ヘリーン」に見舞われたジョージア州バルドスタを訪れたドナルド・トランプ前大統領）
　南東部の複数の州では依然、数百人の安否が確認されておらず、救急隊による懸命な捜索活動が続けられている。
　ジョー・バイデン大統領は、大きな被害を受けたノースカロライナ州を２日に訪れて救援活動を視察すると発表した。
　トランプ氏は９月３０日に激戦州のジョージアを訪問。大量の救援物資を届けると約束した。一方で、バイデン氏はハリケーン被害に対処せず、週末はデラウェア州の自宅で「寝ていた」と批判した。
　バイデン氏は大統領執務室で記者会見し、週末は自宅で「ずっと働いていた」と反論した。またトランプ氏について、連邦政府がハリケーンによる被害を無視し、同氏の支持者を支援していないという根拠のない主張をしているとし、「彼はうそをついている」と非難。
　「ノースカロライナ州のロイ・クーパー知事と話をしたが、やはり『彼（トランプ氏）はうそをついている』と言っていた。なぜ彼があのようなことをするのか分からないが、無責任だ」と付け加えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/10/01-16:47）

The death toll from a devastating storm that battered the southeastern United States climbed to 118 on Monday, as the disaster became a hot topic in an already bitter election campaign, with the White House angrily refuting claims it had been slow to respond.
With hundreds still missing across several southeastern US states and the death toll climbing, President Joe Biden announced he would travel to storm-ravaged North Carolina Wednesday to monitor rescue efforts.
Biden also accused former president Donald Trump of spreading lies, after the Republican presidential candidate charged, without evidence, that the federal government was ignoring the disaster brought on by Hurricane Helene and denying help to his supporters.
He's lying, Biden told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that he had spoken to North Carolina governor Ray Cooper and he told him he's lying. I don't know why he does it... that's simply not true, and it's irresponsible.
At least 118 people were killed by the storm and associated flooding -- 49 in North Carolina, 25 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, 14 in Florida, four in Tennessee and one in Virginia, according to tallies from local authorities compiled by AFP.
Emergency workers continued a grim search for hundreds of people still unaccounted for across the affected states, where torrential rains brought widespread havoc.
They also worked to restore water and power supply to the affected areas, remove fallen trees, deliver supplies and register people for disaster assistance.
The death toll was expected to rise, authorities warned, with cell phone service knocked out across much of the region and up to 600 people still missing.
- Biden accused of 'sleeping' -

With Biden preparing to head to North Carolina, Trump on Monday arrived in Georgia, another epicenter of the destruction -- and both are among the key swing states where the US election will be decided in just five weeks' time.
In the city of Valdosta, Georgia, Trump vowed to bring lots of relief material, including fuel, equipment, water, and other things to those in need.
The federal government is not being responsive, he told reporters. The vice president, she's out someplace, campaigning, looking for money, he said, referring to his election rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
We're not talking about politics now, he said later, wearing a bright red Make America Great Again hat while standing in the rubble of a furniture store.
Democrat Harris, canceled campaign events to return to Washington Monday for a briefing on the federal response.
Over the past few days, our nation has endured some of the worst destruction and devastation that we have seen in quite some time, Harris said following the briefing.
And we have responded with our best, with the best folks who are on the ground and here doing the kind of work that is about rising to a moment of crisis.
Responding to Trump's criticism that he was sleeping instead of dealing with the storm damage, Biden defended his decision to spend the weekend at his home in Delaware, saying he was working the whole time.
When a major natural disaster hits the United States, the federal government responds at the request of states. A president's role is usually to oversee and coordinate aid, including funding.
Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of hurricanes, because there is more energy in warmer oceans for them to feed on, and Biden stressed as much Monday.
Absolutely, positively, unequivocally, yes, yes, yes, yes, Biden told reporters in the Oval Office when asked if climate change was to blame for the trail of destruction left by the storm.
- Drowned in their homes -
The sheriff's office in Pinellas County, Florida, published a grim litany of the nine lives lost there so far, almost all of whose bodies were found in their homes.
Nearly all appeared to have drowned, it said, describing some found still lying in several inches of water, while others were buried under debris.
In Georgia, residents faced power cuts, supply shortages, blocked roads and broken communication lines in often mountainous terrain, with Governor Brian Kemp describing the storm as a 250-mile wide tornado.
Close to two million households and businesses remained without power on Monday, according to tracker poweroutage.us.
Cooper, the North Carolina governor, said Monday that hundreds of roads had been destroyed and many communities were wiped off the map.
This is an unprecedented storm, he told reporters. The emotional and physical toll here is indescribable.
Cooper, a Democrat, also thanked Biden for providing federal personnel and resources.