First Lady Visits Storm-Ravaged Asheville Nearly One Month Later

Plus, Jill Biden announced $110 million in awards for Women’s Health Research Initiative to 23 recipients on Wednesday.

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden (center) joins humanitarian Chef Jose Andres (far right) and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (second from right) to thank volunteers working at the World Central Kitchen site helping support the local community in Asheville, North Carolina, after hurricane Helene. (Credit: Vanessa Valdivia)

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, Friday, to meet with volunteers and learn about relief efforts in the wake of Helene, which caused record flooding in the region.

This was Dr. Biden’s first trip to Western North Carolina since Helene hit. She visited two World Central Kitchen locations in Asheville where she received a briefing on WCK’s operations to prepare, load, and distribute meals to Asheville residents.

With the smell of pork loin and beans filling the air, volunteers at WCK's field kitchen at Bear's Smokehouse showed the first lady around the operation and described relief efforts since the storms. Biden was greeted by Asheville Mayor Est…