President Joe Biden will be visiting Florida for the second time in just over a week to tour communities affected by Hurricane Milton, which caused widespread damage, power outages, gas shortages, and flooding. The storm, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, flooded neighborhoods, destroyed homes, and caused over 17 deaths. Biden is expected to deliver remarks in St. Petersburg, one of the areas hit hardest by the storm.
The White House has approved a disaster declaration to provide federal funding for affected counties, including grants for housing and home repairs. Nearly 1 million homes and businesses remain without power, with the most outages in Pinellas County. Floodwaters continue to rise, triggering rescues and forcing some residents to evacuate.
Early estimates suggest that the damage caused by Hurricane Milton could total $50 billion, with potential economic losses exceeding $160 billion. The storm is considered one of the most damaging in Florida’s history, along with Hurricane Helene which hit the state just two weeks prior.
During his visit, Biden will participate in an aerial tour of affected areas and receive briefings from federal, state, and local officials. His previous visit to Florida came in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, where he toured the impacted areas and met with first responders.
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