October 14 :
President Joe Biden pledged on October 13 to continue assisting the recovery efforts in Florida after touring devastated towns and streets covered in debris. Hurricane Milton was the second significant hurricane to hit the region in as many weeks. As a result of fuel shortages, power outages, and rising floodwaters, cleanup operations following Category 3 hurricane Milton are faced with substantial challenges. Hurricane Helene, which had already made landfall, further increased the destruction. Both hurricanes made landfall within two weeks of each other, thus recovery will likely be a lengthy process.
St. Pete Beach residents are "heartbroken and exhausted and their expenses are piling up," Biden said after touring the barrier island, describing them as a community impacted hard by the storm. As Biden and first responders made their way through the area, they noticed a number of items: photo albums, mattresses, paneling, couches, and broken kitchen cabinets that lay scattered on the roads, some of which were still coated in big spots of sand. Mold odor permeated the room.
An individual's handwritten message read, "Help," on a heap of scattered household debris. As he spoke in front of a beach house that had been severely damaged, the president expressed his worry about the disposal of debris and explained the obvious reason behind it. It's not over yet. "Everything we can" is being done by us.
Moreover, the National Weather Service has predicted that the Sanford area northeast of Orlando and Tampa Bay will continue to experience floods. Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida division of emergency management, warned that "rivers are continuing to rise" and that some Floridians should be ready to leave if necessary during a separate news conference with Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who accompanied Biden on the trip, claimed that, as of this evening (October 15), around 75% of Florida's electricity is available again. At the end of the fifth day following the hurricane, DeSantis estimated that 818,000 consumers were still without electricity.
According to GasBuddy.com analyst Patrick De Haan, who spoke on X, approximately 53% of gas stations in Florida were low on fuel, with 88% of those stations in the Tampa area being particularly affected. Six additional fuel distribution stations were set to open on October 13th, as reported by the state's emergency operations center.
His chopper roared along Florida's western coast from Tampa to St. Petersburg, giving Biden a bird's eye view of the devastation as he flew over golf courses, beachfront skyscrapers, and devastated neighborhoods. He even got a glimpse of the torn roof of Tropicana Field, the baseball stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays. Compared to Helene's death toll of almost 200, at least 17 have been recorded from Milton. This is reportedly due, in part, to the fact that more individuals complied with evacuation orders issued prior to the second hurricane.
The two consecutive hurricanes that hit Florida recently have prompted concerns about the resilience of the state's infrastructure, despite the fact that many Floridians have vowed to rebuild. These storms are believed to be more powerful and more frequent as a result of climate change.
Even though the damage from Milton was lower than expected, experts still predict insurance losses of $30–$60 billion. On October 13, Biden pledged US$612 million for six new utility projects in impacted towns, and he also authorized federal funding to assist citizens and local governments in covering expenses. His administration is requesting additional funds from Congress in light of the fact that there is a possibility of additional disasters and that the hurricane season will continue for another seven weeks after this one finishes, even if the Federal Emergency Management Agency has enough cash to address immediate needs.
While on vacation until after the November 5th presidential election, Democratic Senator Joe Biden told reporters as he departed the state, "Congress needs to move quickly. It's important." He echoed his earlier plea for lawmakers to return to Washington and approve more funding for FEMA. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-OH) told NBC News' "Meet the Press" that "the states have to go and calculate and assess the need and then they submit that to Congress, and that takes some time." This was in response to calls for further disaster aid from the President and state legislators.
Along with Republican politicians and former president Donald Trump—who is running against U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris for president—a trail of false information has also impeded relief operations. Politics is invading the hurricane recovery process just three weeks before the election.
Anna Luna, a Republican from Florida, was one of several local politicians that welcomed or accompanied Biden on his visit. Republican DeSantis turned down the latest offer from the White House and, according to Biden, he did not even speak with the governor. Neither of them attended Biden's previous visit after Helene. Treasure Island's DeSantis did not mention Biden's visit when addressing reporters in front of a pile of office furniture that had been destroyed. He assured the public that in order to maximize the use of federal funding, the state would clear the area of all debris within the following three months. While cleanup is underway, residents of Florida and the rest of the eastern United States may enjoy some relief. The National Hurricane Center announced on X that the Atlantic Ocean is seeing no new tropical storm formations over the past few weeks.
