With only 31 days left until Election Day, the White House was questioned on Friday about how communities devastated by Hurricane Helene would be able to vote. The storm severely impacted areas across the southeastern U.S., destroying homes, businesses, and infrastructure in its path. North Carolina, a key battleground state, has been hit particularly hard.

During the White House press briefing, a reporter asked, “Does the administration have any concerns about how the aftermath of the storm could impact the vote, whether it’s talking to the Postal Service about mail-in ballots that may not be getting to people, or impacting the infrastructure in these critical states?”

White House refers reporters to state and local officials on how voting will take place for storm-ravaged North Carolina pic.twitter.com/yAVNMWtR9x

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Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded that the Biden-Harris administration is utilizing “every available resource” to assist communities with recovery efforts and ensure that voting can proceed. She emphasized, “And certainly that means ensuring that Americans’ voices are heard this November.”

She added, “Our commitment is to make sure people’s voices are heard. For specifics on infrastructure and how that affects voting, I would refer you to state election officials and those handling cybersecurity and infrastructure.”

When asked if any states had raised concerns, Jean-Pierre said she was not aware of any but reiterated that the administration is committed to providing the necessary resources for affected communities to recover and move forward.

AccuWeather estimates that the storm caused up to $160 billion in damages and economic losses, largely due to flooding in southern Appalachia. While major cities like Asheville, North Carolina, and Tampa Bay, Florida, were severely impacted, smaller towns like Chimney Rock, North Carolina, were nearly destroyed. Over 200 people have been reported dead, with hundreds still missing.

The Associated Press reported that the storm dumped over 40 trillion gallons of rain across the southeast, an amount equivalent to the capacity of Lake Tahoe.

The briefing took place as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds might not last through the end of the hurricane season, which concludes in November. The Biden-Harris administration has come under scrutiny for offering only $750 in relief to victims of the storm.