Helene will have significant impacts in multiple states, FEMA says

 President Joe Biden was briefed by Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell on Thursday as Hurricane Helene is intensifying and expected to make landfall this evening.

“This is going to be a multi-state event with potential for significant impacts from Florida all the way to Tennessee,” Criswell warned during an appearance at the White House press briefing.

Biden has approved disaster declarations for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

“Please take this threat from storm surge seriously,” Criswell said, encouraging those in the affected area to “move out of harm’s way” and not to “underestimate what the impacts could possibly be.”