Standing in front of one of the many homes destroyed by Hurricane Milton in Florida, President Biden said Sunday that while the storm was devastating for those who lost homes, businesses or loved ones, he expressed relief that the storm was not as destructive as expected. .
“Fortunately, the impact of the storm was not as devastating as they predicted,” Mr. Biden said in St. Pete Beach. “It was devastating for some people. Not just for people who lost their homes, but more importantly, people who lost their lives, lost family members, lost all their personal possessions. Entire neighborhoods were flooded, millions were without power.
Earlier he surveyed the damage from the air: reports of the shredded roof of the Tropicana Field baseball stadium, debris-strewn roads and furniture piled outside homes. “Mayor, Governor, Mr. Press, small businesses need help too,” read one message. Another said, “Help us.”
“Homeowners have taken a real hit in these storms,” said Mr. Biden said. “And they’re heartbroken and tired, and their costs are piling up.”
For communities devastated by hurricanes in Florida, Mr. Biden’s visit — his second in two weeks — comes as he manages a series of crises in the final stretch of his presidency, including several natural disasters. He used the visit to announce $612 million for six Energy Department projects in areas affected by Milton and Helen, including nearly $100 million for Florida to improve the region’s electric grid. On Friday, he declared a major disaster for Florida communities affected by Milton.
Mr. As a sign of such unity, Mr. They welcomed Biden.
“We’ve communicated often, and in moments like this, we come together not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, to take care of each other,” Mr. Biden said. “Americans who need help and Americans who would help you if you were in the same situation. We are one America.
But there were still signs of party divisions in the final weeks before the election. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, did not meet with Mr Biden on Sunday, although heads of state have historically met with presidents when visiting areas recovering from disasters. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre responded to the invitation to join the president. DeSantis said he did not respond. Florida’s governor also visited parts of the state hit by Hurricane Helen earlier this month. Not joining Biden.
Prior to the visit, former President Donald J. Mr. Trump Biden has repeatedly advised.
Mr. Biden said. His administration has said the agency has enough resources to respond to immediate needs, but long-term recovery will require funding. Speaker Mike Johnson said additional aid could wait until Congress is back in session after the election, and that FEMA should focus on distributing the money Congress has already approved for the agency.
“FEMA was slow to respond,” said Mr. Johnson said, while many local officials praised the bipartisan federal response. “They didn’t do the job that we all expected and hoped they would do, and there will be a lot of evaluation about that, as well, in the coming days.”
FEMA said it has approved $441 million in aid to Hurricane Helen survivors and more than $349 million in funding to help communities rebuild.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the agency spent $9 billion of the $20 billion Congress put into the agency’s disaster funding this fiscal year. The Small Business Administration has warned that it will soon run out of funds to provide loans to homeowners and businesses affected by the storm.
Before leaving Florida on Sunday, Mr. Biden tried to project more hope.
“We’re making real progress,” he said. “Everybody seems pretty happy with the way it’s going. The next thing is making sure small businesses get the money.
