One week after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida, President Joe Biden is visiting the world Wednesday to assess restoration and communicate to households.
Ian, thought of one of many strongest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S., is additionally anticipated to be thought of one of many costliest.
Public officers’ dealing with of primary disasters will be legacy-defining moments, which might have further significance inside the politically very important state of Florida. That’s true for every Biden and for Gov. Ron DeSantis, a frequent critic of the president who’s up for reelection this 12 months and will face off in opposition to Biden in 2024.
Biden has mentioned his political disagreements with DeSantis are irrelevant to his administration’s response and has supplied the governor “the fullest federal assist.”
DeSantis has put aside his challenges to Biden on immigration and completely different factors to work intently with Washington.
DeSantis joined Biden on Wednesday to replace the president and evaluation hurricane restoration.
“we’re working as one,” White dwelling press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned Tuesday.
2024 preview? Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis: A 2022 hurricane might preview the 2024 election
Cracks inside the united entrance?
The mutual admiration society of President Joe Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed a quantity of cracks Wednesday as a consequence of the political rivals talked about how effectively they’ve labored collectively on restoration efforts from Hurricane Ian.
optimistic, DeSantis praised the “staff effort” between the administration and state and native officers. sure, Biden mentioned he is been “in full lockstep” with the Florida governor.
however DeSantis additionally appeared to take a dig at Biden’s aerial tour, earlier than the briefing of storm-damaged areas.
“i used to be in Sanibel in the present day,” DeSantis mentioned shut to the start of his public remarks. “you’ll possibly go over it in a helicopter and also you see harm, however it certainly does not do it justice till you’ll possibly be actually on the underside and also you see concrete utility poles sawed off, proper in half, massive vitality traces everywhere, massive portions of particles.”
When it was Biden’s flip to communicate, he mentioned he’s optimistic that the harm seems to be so a lot worse on the underside.
“however you’ll possibly even see an complete hell of rather so a lot of the harm from the air,” Biden added.
– Maureen Groppe and Michael Collins
DeSantis praises federal position in hurricane restoration
Gov. Ron DeSantis thanked President Joe Biden for touring to Florida to survey the hurricane harm and praised the “good coordination” between his administration and the White dwelling.
“We admire working collectively throughout diversified ranges of presidency,” DeSantis mentioned with Biden and completely different officers standing by his facet.
DeSantis notably praised the administration’s doubling from 30 days to 60 days the interval of time the federal authorities pays for one hundred% of particles elimination and completely different prices. For some communities, the governor mentioned, the worth of particles elimination would eclipse their complete budgets.
Biden mentioned DeSantis most probably might want to ask for an further extension.
“besides you clear the world,” Biden mentioned, “there’s not a lot else you’ll possibly do.”
Biden, who took an aerial tour of the hurricane harm and acquired a briefing on the restoration efforts, mentioned he has instructed his administration to carry collectively “every ingredient” of the federal authorities to assist with speedy wants and prolonged-time period rebuilding.
“in the present day, we have now one job and simply one job, and that is to make it attainable for of us in Florida get every little thing that they want to completely, utterly get effectively,” he mentioned.
After Biden accomplished his remarks, reporters requested how he thought DeSantis has dealt with the hurricane response.
“i really feel he’s accomplished a superb job,” Biden mentioned. “we have now very completely different political philosophies, however we’ve labored hand in glove. … In dealing with this disaster, we’ve been in full lockstep.”
– Michael Collins and Maureen Groppe
Biden will get aerial tour of hurricane harm
President Joe Biden helicoptered over elements of hurricane-battered Florida on Wednesday, shortly after arriving in Fort Myers.
Cecil Pendergrass, chairman of the Lee County fee, joined Biden on the aerial evaluation, which lasted about half an hour.
subsequent up is a briefing by federal, state and native officers at particles-coated Fisherman’s Wharf adopted by a gathering with small-enterprise dwelling owners and native residents.
Biden is anticipated to communicate after three p.m. about what he’s seen and heard.
– Maureen Groppe
IRS serving to FEMA’s jammed telephone traces
hundreds of telephone operators – collectively with some from the IRS – have been serving to subject calls from FEMA’s jammed traces, in response to the agency.
extra assist might even be coming.
“We’re going to purpose to hurry that up by having further personnel,” President Joe Biden mentioned Wednesday.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell mentioned IRS operators are thought of one of many backups used by the early days of a disaster.
If a caller nonetheless can’t get by, they will ask for a callback, or, in the event that they’ve internet entry, attain out by disasterassistance.gov, she mentioned.
– Maureen Groppe
FEMA has activated resort program for short-term housing
At DeSantis’ request, the federal authorities has turned on a program offering short-term housing for these in want after federal disasters. which means eligible Floridians can maintain in taking half inns, mentioned FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
FEMA will even be working with the state to activate the federal direct housing program, which incorporates bringing in cell homes for short-term shelter.
For homes needing roof repairs, the U.S. army Corps of Engineers is offering blue coverings with fiber-bolstered sheeting to assist decrease again further harm to property till everlasting repairs will be made.
The division of Housing and concrete enchancment has been tasked with planning everlasting housing options, Criswell mentioned.
“that is going to be a very difficult restoration course of for prolonged-time period housing and everlasting housing for therefore a lot of households. There are communities that want to be utterly rebuilt,” she mentioned. “So our position is to current that short-term housing for households as they’re working by what we’re ready to do to assist their everlasting rebuilding.”
– Maureen Groppe
extra disaster restoration facilities are coming
The Federal Emergency administration agency will open three disaster restoration facilities in Florida on Thursday, two days after the state’s first coronary heart started serving to residents in Lee County, Criswell introduced. providers will be supplied by better than 10 federal and state companies and nonprofit organizations.
the primary coronary heart, at Lakes Regional Library in Fort Myers, was opened in coordination with insurance coverage firms so residents might communicate to their insurance coverage supplier whereas checking in the event that they’re eligible for federal assist, collectively with a small-enterprise mortgage.
Criswell mentioned FEMA will proceed to open facilities round elements of the state hit by Ian.
– Maureen Groppe
First responders welcome Biden to Fort Myers
Firefighters from Cape Coral and completely different first responders had been amongst these ready for President Joe Biden and first woman Jill Biden after Air power One landed in Fort Myers Wednesday.
The greeters did not embody DeSantis and the state’s U.S. senators, all Republicans. however all three are anticipated to hitch the president later in his go to. The elected officers who met Biden included U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., whose district consists of Fort Myers.
Cecil Pendergrass, chairman of the Lee County fee, was additionally readily out there to welcome Biden.
– Maureen Groppe
Search and rescue teams nonetheless going door-to-door in Lee County
Seventeen search and rescue teams proceed to work in Lee County, which incorporates Fort Myers and has had most probably the most deaths attributed to Hurricane Ian confirmed by Florida’s health workers.
teams are transferring door-to-door to make optimistic that every one residents are accounted for, in response to Criswell. On Tuesday, they assessed 24,000 constructions.
“they’re going to proceed to be inside the county till every construction has been checked out and cleared to make optimistic that nobody nonetheless wants rescue,” she mentioned.
– Maureen Groppe
FEMA: Federal assist for Florida will value billions
Federal assist to Florida will value billions of dollars, Criswell informed reporters Wednesday.
harm to infrastructure continues to be being assessed as a consequence of the federal authorities stays inside the “lifesaving and stabilization mode,” Criswell mentioned by the flight from Washington to Florida, the place Biden will be getting an replace on hurricane restoration efforts.
“it is going to be inside the billions. what quantity of billions i do not know but,” she mentioned. “however it certainly goes to definitely be inside the billions and maybe thought of one of many extra pricey disasters that we have seen in a few years.”
– Maureen Groppe
the most current on demise toll, vitality, extra
- The demise toll – which county health workers mentioned Tuesday night stands at seventy two – is anticipated to rise as rescue and restoration efforts proceed in areas battered by the class 4 storm and the flooding it spawned.
- The deployment of what the administration recognized as an unprecedented quantity of search and rescue teams have rescued better than three,800 of us and 200 pets, in response to the White dwelling.
- better than 340,000 homes and companies remained with out vitality as of Tuesday night, in response to the monitoring internet website PowerOutage.
- The federal disaster declaration consists of 17 counties, making them eligible for diversified types of federal assist.
- better than 4,000 federal response personnel are working in Florida and the Southeast.
- On Wednesday, Biden prolonged for an further 30 days the time interval for which the federal authorities will cowl one hundred% of the worth of particles elimination and emergency defending measures.
What’s about to happen
Biden is touring to Fort Myers the place he is scheduled to survey storm-ravaged areas by helicopter earlier than meeting with small enterprise dwelling owners and native residents and thanking responders for his or her efforts.
collectively with listening to from DeSantis, Biden will acquire updates from Federal Emergency administration agency Administrator Deanne Criswell, as effectively as to state and native officers.
“They’re going to focus on what else are the wants in Florida to get to a spot of restoration, to get to a spot of rebuilding,” Jean-Pierre mentioned.
Biden’s journey comes two days after he made a associated go to to Puerto Rico, the place he promised to rebuild the island stronger than it was earlier than Hurricane Fiona.
prime takeaways
Hurricanes can harm not simply property, however additionally political reputations.
After leaving office, former President George W. Bush acknowledged his response to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina tarnished his legacy. a photograph of Bush wanting down from Air power One on a flooded New Orleans as he was returning to Washington from a Texas journey made him look, in his phrases, “detached and uncaring.”
Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles’ approval rating dropped precipitously after the state’s botched response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
worthwhile disaster administration might additionally be a political enhance. in truth, some fellow Republicans blamed New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for serving to President Barack Obama win reelection by praising Obama’s response to Superstorm Sandy.
Biden and DeSantis
Biden and DeSantis, who might face every completely different on the 2024 presidential battlefield, have a combative historic previous.
In a go to scrapped as Ian approached, Biden had deliberate to seem final week with Charlie Crist, the Democratic congressman difficult DeSantis for reelection in November. final month, DeSantis – a frequent critic of Biden’s dealing with of border insurance coverage policies – flew planes of migrants to Martha’s winery.
Biden and DeSantis have additionally clashed on pandemic insurance coverage policies, abortion rights, LGBTQ factors, inflation and completely different issues.
nonetheless the leaders have already proven they will work collectively all by a disaster. After a 12-story condo constructing collapsed in Surfside shut to Miami final 12 months, DeSantis praised the federal authorities for its quick response. Biden mentioned it was very important to level out the nation that “we’re ready to cooperate.”
What they’re saying
- “I simply want the of us in Florida to know we see what you’re going by and we’re with you, and we’re going to do every little thing we’re ready to for you,” Biden mentioned Friday.
- “there’ll be an unimaginable deal of time to debate variations between the president and the governor. however now is not the time,” Jean-Pierre mentioned Tuesday of the political clashes between Biden and DeSantis.
- “FEMA has been an unimaginable companion. The Biden administration has responded, as they’ve mentioned, so there’s no complaints there,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., mentioned on CNN Sunday. “In occasions like this, of us discover that it’s not about politics.”
- “that is going to be a very prolonged restoration, and it is going to be a refined one,” Criswell mentioned on NPR Saturday.
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