President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Puerto Rico and Florida this week to survey damage from the two recent hurricanes, the White House announced late Saturday.
The Bidens are planning to head to Puerto Rico on Monday, two weeks after Hurricane Fiona slammed into the island as a category 1 storm and where many of the residents still face widespread power outages and water shortages.
Then, the president and first lady will head to Florida on Wednesday. Rescue efforts are underway in the Sunshine State in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian that hit the Gulf Coast last week as a category 4 storm, packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph.
Ian caused catastrophic damage across a large swath of Florida and killed scores before exiting into the Atlantic and then heading up the coast before making landfall again in South Carolina as a downgraded post-tropical storm.
Previous 1 of 7 Next “We owe Puerto Rico a hell of a lot more than they’ve already gotten,” President Biden said ahead of his visit. Damaged and missing homes are seen in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach. Playa Salinas is flooded after the passing of Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico. A Coast Guard helicopter takes off on Sanibel Island. Residents affected by Hurricane Fiona rest at a school being used as a storm shelter in Salinas, Puerto Rico. Residents of Fort Myers Beach clear debris from Hurricane Ian. A vehicle is submerged after Hurricane Fiona in Salinas, Puerto Rico.
The White House said additional details about the visit would be released later.
But the president, speaking at a Congressional Black Caucus awards dinner on Saturday, addressed the damage caused by Fiona and Ian.
“Our hearts … are heavy, the devastating hurricanes, storms in Puerto Rico, Florida, and South Carolina. And we owe Puerto Rico a hell of a lot more than they’ve already gotten,” he said.
Bidens to visit Florida, Puerto Rico to see hurricane damage
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