President Biden announced that the losses from Hurricane Milton could exceed $50 billion, as he plans to visit Florida on Sunday to witness the devastation caused by the storm.
On Friday, Biden stated at the White House that he and Vice President Kamala Harris had been briefed on post-hurricane recovery efforts related to Hurricane Milton. This marked the second major storm to hit Florida in recent weeks, bringing new destruction to the state, which is still in the process of rebuilding from previous disasters.
Hurricane Milton left 3 million households without power. Biden noted that with the efforts of 50,000 utility workers from 43 states, power had been restored to 1 million households.
On Sunday, Biden will visit Florida to survey the damage caused by the storm firsthand. One of the purposes of Biden and Harris’s trip is to assure voters that they are doing everything possible to aid in disaster relief and reconstruction, while also pushing back against former President Trump’s claims of the federal government’s inadequate response.
With the U.S. presidential election less than a month away, the consecutive storms have become a significant issue in the White House race between Harris and Trump. Harris, who is campaigning in Arizona, participated in the briefing on Friday via virtual means.
Harris once again warned businesses against price gouging during the crisis, emphasizing that it is a key focus of her economic agenda.
She stated, “I want to reiterate that any company or individual engaging in illegal fraud or price gouging during this crisis, whether at gas stations, airports, or hotels, will be monitored and held accountable for their actions.”
“We will continue to coordinate resources with local and state authorities, including food, water, medical supplies, and generators, and collaborate with local teams to restore water and power as soon as possible,” she added.
Hurricane Milton made landfall as a category 3 hurricane on Wednesday night, causing severe damage in Florida. At least 10 deaths have been confirmed, millions are without power, operations at Tampa port are disrupted, and numerous buildings and crops have been destroyed.
The total losses caused by Hurricane Milton may take several days to fully assess. According to disaster model expert Chuck Watson from Enki Research, damages and losses could range between $60 billion to $75 billion.
Biden mentioned that the U.S. Coast Guard is leading the recovery efforts with hopes to reopen ports promptly.
On Friday, Trump proposed a tax deduction plan for consumers who purchase home generators between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025.
The White House announced Biden’s plan to visit Florida on Friday.
It remains uncertain whether Governor Ron DeSantis will meet with Biden during his visit. When asked about the possibility, Biden responded, “If he’s available, yes.”
“He has been very cooperative, and we get along very well,” Biden added.
In 2022, DeSantis worked with Biden to survey the damage caused by another hurricane, Hurricane Ian, and also investigated the Surfside condo collapse in 2021.