North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein says President Donald Trump’s planned visit Friday to the region still recovering from catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene is “very good news.”

Stein told reporters Wednesday that his office had just learned about the presidential visit.

“I think that’s very good news for the people of western North Carolina, that this issue is front-of-mind of the new administration,” Stein said.

The governor said he wasn’t sure of his schedule on Friday but hoped to visit with Trump.

As of Thursday afternoon, details about Trump’s visit, including venue or arrival time, were not made available by the White House or local officials. A Buncombe County spokesperson announced Wednesday that travelers in the area should expect traffic delays between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Trump announced plans to visit Helene-torn western North Carolina while delivering remarks on infrastructure on Tuesday.

“I’m going to North Carolina, which has been ‘abandoned by the Democrats.’ I’ll be there on Friday,” Trump said.

Trump visited the Asheville area twice during the 2024 presidential campaign, including a visit to Swannanoa in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

During his October visit to Swannanoa, the then-presidential candidate criticized the federal government’s response to Helene.

Former Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, visited hard-hit areas of the mountains in the weeks and months after the storm. His office also sought more federal aid for the region. Former President Joe Biden visited the region on Oct. 2 — five days after the storm hit — and took an aerial tour of the damage.

Stein, has also visited the region since taking office. On Jan. 2, Stein announced five executive orders aimed at bolstering recovery efforts in Helene’s aftermath.

As of January 2025, there are six FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers open in western North Carolina counties. Federal officials say the agency has provided more than $316 million in cash grants to people in western North Carolina after the hurricane, including more than $6.5 million in rental assistance. Officials added that the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $213 million in low-interest loans to survivors.