Biden to those affected by Hurricane Ida: “We are in this together, the nation is here to help”

The president of the USA, Joe Biden, promised this Thursday that he will continue to help all those affected by the Hurricane Ida, which has caused heavy flooding in Mississippi and Louisiana and hit the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the last few hours.

“My message to all those affected is that we are in this together. The nation is here to help”, Biden said in a speech at the White House that arrives a day before his trip to New Orleans (Louisiana), one of the cities most affected by the hurricane and where most of the neighbors are still without electricity.

The speech served Biden to list the different actions that the federal government has taken and also revealed that “new tools” have been used to accelerate the recovery process.

For example, drones are flying over affected areas to assess damage to infrastructure and satellite images are being used to assess the extent of the destruction and access areas that have been isolated.

He also explained that he has asked the Department of Energy to use all the tools at its disposal to guarantee supply, including the use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, where the US stores millions of barrels of crude oil to avoid supply interruptions.

Biden announced that he gave permission to trucks that transport fuel to circulate at any time in order to avoid any shortages or a price increase, since the passage of Hurricane Ida through the Gulf of Mexico caused the suspension of more than 90% of the exercise.

In addition, he indicated that his government has been working with telephone companies so that the inhabitants of the affected areas can continue to use their cell phones, despite the fact that some transmission towers have been demolished.

Secondly, Biden directed his harshest words to those insurance companies that refuse to bear the lodging costs of those affected by the hurricane, because they allege that they left their homes voluntarily and not because there was a mandatory evacuation order.

“I ask private insurance companies right now, at this critical time, not to hide behind the fine print and technicalities. Do your job. Comply with the commitments you have with the communities you have insured. Do the right thing,” he demanded.

Tomorrow, Friday, the president will travel to New Orleans to assess the damage caused by the hurricane and to meet with the governor of Louisiana, Democrat Bel Edwards, as well as leaders of the affected communities.

Hurricane Ida has claimed the lives of at least 23 people, according to the latest accounts by authorities collected by local media.