Joe Biden will have two trips to Florida and Puerto Rico next week to assess the damage caused by Hurricanes Fiona and Ian, and they will also meet with officials and residents after the hurricanes hit both regions in 10 days.

The White House announced the president’s travel plans this Saturday after making clear his intentions to visit both destinations affected by the hurricanes this week, so both Joe and the first lady, Jill, are expected to visit Puerto Rico and Florida. on Monday and Wednesday respectively.

“It’s not just a crisis for Florida. This is an American crisis. We are all in this together”Biden specified. “I just want the people of Florida to know: We see what you are going through and we stand with you.”

Hurricane Ian has devastated parts of Florida after making landfall on Wednesday, and there are fears that search efforts will reveal a higher death toll as rescuers continue to search for people trapped by flood waters.

Recently authorities have reported that more than 65 people have died after the impact of Ian, according to information provided by CNN.

Also, more than 1.1 million homes and businesses remain without power this Saturday in Florida. However, with the support of local and federal first responders, more than 700 rescues have been made, according to officials in the southern state.

More than 1,300 search and rescue workers were on the trail of survivors Saturday, according to authorities, including five teams that were out of state.

“We are just beginning to see the scale of that destruction. It’s likely to rank among the worst in the nation.”said the president on Friday. “You have all seen rented houses and properties on television. It’s going to take months, (or) years to rebuild it.”

Recovery efforts related to Hurricane Ian have threatened to overshadow the devastation wrought on Puerto Rico by Hurricane Fiona, which has battered the island for two weeks and left more than 200,000 people without power. .

The U.S. government has had to face criticism from nonprofit and community leaders, including frustrations that the federal government did not cover all of Puerto Rico early in President Biden’s disaster declaration, as well as the belated transfer of federal aid to the most affected communities.

Categorized in: