Biden warns Idalia nonetheless harmful, says he hasn’t forgotten in regards to the victims of Hawaii’s wildfires

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden warned Wednesday that Hurricane Idalia was “still very dangerous” despite the fact that the storm had weakened after it got here ashore in Florida and mentioned he has not forgotten in regards to the wildfire victims in Hawaii, declaring himself “laser focused” on serving to them get better.

Challenged by back-to-back excessive climate episodes – wildfires that burned a historic city on the island of Maui to the bottom and a hurricane that forecasters mentioned might convey catastrophic flooding – the Democratic president who’s working for a second time period sought to look in control of the federal authorities’s response to each occasions.

Some Republicans in Congress have threatened to research the federal response in Hawaii after some Maui residents complained that the federal government wasn’t sending sufficient early assist.

Biden mentioned he had spoken to the governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, all states affected by Idalia. He acquired his second briefing in as many days from Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and directed her to spend Thursday with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to start out assessing the hurricane harm and the wants there.

DeSantis, who’s a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and Biden have clashed in current months over the socially conservative governor’s insurance policies. as politicians from opposing events will do. But Biden mentioned there was no hint of politics in his storm-related conversations with the governor.

“I know that sounds strange,” Biden mentioned, noting how partisan politics have change into. He recalled accompanying DeSantis within the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the final main storm to wallop Florida.

“I think he trusts my judgment and my desire to help and I trust him to be able to suggest that this is not about politics,” the president mentioned. “This is about taking care of the people of the state.”

Biden additionally introduced $95 billion in infrastructure funds will likely be going to Maui to assist harden {the electrical} grid and pay for things like erecting stronger poles to carry up energy strains or bury them underground the place attainable, and to deploy expertise that may ship alerts about energy disruptions.

Some folks on the island whose properties have been burned have complained that authorities have refused to allow them to return to their properties. Biden appealed for endurance, explaining that the hazardous materials have to be eliminated earlier than anybody can return.

“We’re doing everything we can to move heaven and earth to help you recover, rebuild and return to your lives,” he mentioned, including that the state of affairs will likely be as “frustrating as the devil for people.”

“I want to be clear with the people of Maui about what to expect. The work we’re doing is going to take time, in some cases a long time,” he added.

The federal authorities is paying to take away the particles, together with hazardous materials.

Biden mentioned he understands how painful the state of affairs is, with lives disrupted, together with the beginning of the brand new college yr, and folks displaced.

“I get it. What can I tell you? The one thing I can tell you is we’re going to be with you every step of the way,” the president mentioned.

He was assembly along with his Cabinet on Wednesday to debate the response in Maui and listening to from Bob Fenton, the FEMA official he put in command of overseeing the island’s long-term restoration.