President Biden on Thursday delieverd a message to southwestern Floridians: stay indoors. As Hurricane Ian’s wateres recede, emergency services is still getting on a handle on the extent of the damage.
“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history. And numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life,” Biden said during a visit to the Washington headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“While the water is receding, don’t go outside unless you absolutely have to. It’s risky for you and it impedes first responders from doing their job,” Biden said.
As soon as it’s safe, Biden is planning to visit the Sunshine State to assess the damage personally, and reassured Floridians that the federal government will support them with aide to rebuild.
“Folks in Florida who have destroyed or damaged homes and you don’t have enough insurance, it means the federal government will provide individual assistance of $37,900 for home repairs and another $37,900 for lost property — for everything from an automobile to a lost wedding ring,” Biden said.
Early reports statted that Biden had not spoke to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, but that’s no longer the case according to Biden; he says he spoke to DeSantis “four or five times already.”
“That’s totally irrelevant, but I’ll answer it, okay? In fact, very fine. He complimented me. He thanked me for the immediate response we had. He told me how much he appreciated it, said he was extremely happy with what was going on,” Biden said of DeSantis.
“This is not about whether an anything having to do with our disagreements politically. This is about saving people’s lives, homes and businesses. That’s what this is about.”
Watch a clip of Biden’s remarks below:
US President Joe Biden warns that Hurricane Ian may end up being "deadliest" storm in Florida history and cites fears there could be "substantial" numbers of deaths pic.twitter.com/1t2Thb0IJN
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 29, 2022
Thank you for visiting 
