Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, announced on Tuesday that the aerospace company is deploying additional Starlink terminals to North Carolina in response to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
Musk’s assistance was commended by former President Trump, who claimed to have discussed the possibility of providing Starlink internet service with Musk earlier this week.
“Since the Hurricane Helene disaster, SpaceX has sent as many Starlink terminals as possible to help areas in need. Earlier today, @realDonaldTrump alerted me to additional people who need Starlink Internet in North Carolina. We are sending them terminals right away.” Musk wrote on X.
The White House announced earlier this week that 40 Starlink satellite systems are currently operational in North Carolina to facilitate responder communications, and an additional 140 satellites are being transported to aid in the restoration of the communications infrastructure.
One Starlink will be deployed to each county’s emergency operations center to facilitate communication.
Last Thursday, Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, causing torrential rainfall and winds in numerous southern states.
A minimum of 166 individuals have perished.
On Wednesday, over 1.2 million customers in the Carolinas and Georgia were still without power, as the hurricane devastated numerous inland regions of the states.
On Monday, President Trump visited Georgia to inspect the damage caused by the storm and to offer his assistance to those who are currently coping with the aftermath.
He also stated that he intends to visit North Carolina.
Musk is the founder of SpaceX, which is responsible for the operation of the Starlink satellites.
Musk has endorsed Trump in the 2024 campaign and has become more vocal and supportive of right-wing views on his social media platform X, which he acquired as then-Twitter in 2022.
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