WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Federal teams are on the ground in Florida to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton and President Biden plans to travel to the state this weekend to visit impacted communities.
The president held a briefing on Friday with members of his cabinet to discuss the storm. He also had a message for communities that were impacted.
“We’re going to do everything we can to help you pick up the pieces to get back to where you were,” Biden said.
He says the focus right now is on restoring power and removing debris. FEMA has crews on the ground in Florida coordinating with local officials to on that recovery work.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency is committed to helping those who need it.
“FEMA and the rest of the federal family will be here to support the recovery from these devastating storms for as long as it takes,” Criswell said.
She says the agency has enough funding for the immediate response to Hurricane Milton and other recent storms. Though she warns that they’re quickly running through the $20 billion that Congress recently put into the relief budget.
“I’ve got to watch it every single day. These are catastrophic events affecting six states and it does have a drain on our budget,” Criswell said “I’m down to $10 billion. So, I’ve already spent half the money that was appropriated.”
The Biden administration says that means lawmakers are going to have to reassess for longer term recovery.
“We’re going to be going to the Congress. We’re going to need a lot of help, going to need a lot more money,” Biden said.
He says early estimates are that Hurricane Milton alone caused around $50 billion of damage. He insists survivors should reach out to FEMA for help, despite rumors that the agency is out of money.
“The truth is we’re providing all the resources that are needed,” Biden said.
