US President Joe Biden promised ongoing help to those affected by tropical storm Idalia in the state of Florida during a visit.
“You can count on your country and we will stand by your side until the job is done,” Biden said in the north Florida town of Live Oak. According to the US government, 1,500 federal aid workers are deployed in the state and more than 1.3 million meals have been served.
No meeting with DeSantis
Biden did not meet Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is fighting for the Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis had previously stated that Biden’s stay and presidential security measures could disrupt rescue and recovery efforts. On such occasions in the USA it is actually common for politicians from opposing parties to appear together.
Biden and his wife Jill initially assessed the damage in Live Oak east of the city of Tallahassee during a flight from the air. They also spoke to emergency workers and those affected on site.
Tropical storm Idalia swept across Florida last week, but was less destructive than feared. There was one fatality, temporary power outages, and overall manageable damage to infrastructure. Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 out of 5 hurricane, then quickly lost strength over land and eventually moved on to Georgia and South Carolina.
