During a visit to storm-ravaged St. Pete Beach, President Joe Biden praised the federal government’s response and the community’s resilience after the back-to-back tragedies of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Among his announcements was $612 million for six Department of Energy projects in areas affected by the hurricanes. Of that, $94 million will stay in Florida, divided equally between Gainesville Regional Utilities and Switched Source, which is partnering with Florida Power & Light. FPL provides power to around three dozen Florida counties including Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Charlotte.
Biden followed up with visits to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and St. Petersburg’s Albert Whitted Airport, with a stop in St. Pete Beach.
“I know that this was not as cataclysmic as predicted,” Biden said, flanked by state, county and municipal officials, standing in front of a two-story home that had collapsed. “But for some, it was cataclysmic, especially those who lost their lives or loved ones.”
Biden started his time in St. Pete with an aerial tour, accompanied by St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor.
The president said of his conversations with local residents: “They’re heartbroken and exhausted, and their expenses are mounting. The American people should know the sacrifices they’re making. Not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans. We are one United States.”
Biden listed some of the aid that has arrived on the Gulf Coast including 1.2 million meals, 300,000 liters of water, 2 million liters of fuel and 100 satellite terminals to restore communication in affected areas.
He also noted that 10 disaster relief centers are currently open in the state, offering “one-stop shopping” for those seeking assistance. One such center is located at the Florida Botanical Gardens, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. At the time of his speech, Biden said that power had been restored to 2 million residents and businesses. He also thanked disaster relief personnel from 43 states and Canada for their assistance.
Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters asked for help in cutting red tape, specific to a situation involving overlapping disasters.
“I sent a letter to the state, which will then go to the White House, asking, at a minimum, to merge the two storm declarations,” Peters said, speaking last at Sunday’s briefing. “By merging the two disasters into one, it will help expedite the process and make recovery quicker,” she added.
Peters said the county would also request additional federal assistance for debris removal, the addition of two more Disaster Recovery Centers in the county and approval for a Permanent Housing Construction program to address severe damage to local housing stock.
Biden also cited improvements aimed at speeding up recovery efforts in the future.
“We’ve made critical investments in our power grid, burying transmission lines underground and replacing wooden poles with stronger materials to reduce outages during extreme weather,” he said.
Other local updates include:
Pinellas and Hillsborough County schools remain closed today, Monday, Oct. 14. Pinellas County schools will reopen Wednesday.
The boil water notice for St. Petersburg, South Pasadena and Lealman expired Monday morning. Residents can again use water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and cleaning but are advised to run taps for five minutes before use. The advisory remains in effect for Gulfport.
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport will remain closed until Wednesday, Oct. 16. It reportedly suffered $10 million in damages.
Those affected by the storms can visit disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Biden also noted that more than 250,000 people registered for assistance on Saturday, the largest one-day total in U.S. history.
St. Pete Beach Mayor Adrian Petrila, affected by both storms, echoed Biden’s remarks about resilience.
“My family and I felt the full force of Helene,” he said. “And just when we began to find our footing, here comes Milton. But one thing remains true: We have been beaten, and we have been battered, but we will not be broken.”