US President Joe Biden arrives in Florida on Sunday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Milton, the second storm to hit the low-lying state in recent weeks, as floodwaters continue to rise.
Hurricane Milton, which left at least 17 dead, added to the piles of debris from Hurricane Helene, with power and fuel still unavailable in many areas.
Mr. Biden’s administration had approved federal aid to help residents and local authorities cover their expenses.
The president is scheduled to arrive in Tampa at 9:30 a.m. (1:30 p.m. GMT) and will conduct an aerial tour of affected areas before traveling to St. Petersburg, where he will be briefed by federal, state and local authorities in St.
Pete Beach. He will also meet with first responders and residents before giving a public speech.
Additional fuel distribution sites are expected to open Sunday, according to the state’s emergency operations center.
Flooding is expected to continue around Tampa Bay and in the Sanford area, northeast of Orlando, due to rising river waters, according to the National Weather Service website.
Climate change has been linked to stronger, faster-moving hurricanes, and the two back-to-back storms that recently hit Florida raise questions about infrastructure resilience, even as many residents vow to stay put.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was not inclined to stop people from rebuilding in vulnerable areas.
Although Milton was not as destructive as authorities had initially expected, analysts estimated insured losses between $30 billion and $60 billion.
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