CHERRY POINT, N.C. (WNCN) – President Donald Trump arrived Wednesday morning at a North Carolina church that is serving as a distribution center for supplies after Hurricane Florence.
Trump is visiting Temple Baptist Church in New Bern. The area suffered significant damage, with branches down and piles of debris.
Church volunteers have containers of hot dogs, chips and fruit and have been handing out food to people in need.
The president is visiting the region Wednesday after the powerful storm left widespread destruction and flooding. Officials cautioned that the flooding is not over yet.
Trump stressed his sympathy for the victims of the storm and pledged resources for recovery during an earlier storm briefing at a nearby marine base.
Before arriving at the church, Trump said during a briefing by local and federal officials, “We will be there 100 percent” following flooding he described as “epic” and “hard to believe.”
He says, “There will be nothing left undone.”
Trump at times has struggled to project empathy during national crisis. But on Wednesday he offered comforting words to families who suffered losses, saying, “America grieves with you and our hearts break for you.”
When the state’s governor asked for federal support, Trump declared: “I’ll be there,”
Trump is also praising first responders during his visit to a coastal marine base, the first of several stops on his schedule.
