Biden Visits Hurricane-Ravaged Florida With Republican Rival DeSantis

President Joe Biden visited Florida on Wednesday and promised assistance to rebuild after the massive devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.

Biden and the Republican Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, a possible 2024 opponent, set aside their politics to comfort local folks. In the southwestern town of Fort Myers, President Biden remarked that the only purpose of his visit was ensure that "people in Florida get everything they need to fully, thoroughly recover," according to AP News.

Speeding Up Relief Efforts

He admitted that the journey to recovery from the hurricane-ravaged state would take a very long time, and he hoped there would be no roadblocks. But Biden assured Floridians "we're still going to be here with you" even after the media coverage of his visit.

Governor DeSantis and his wife Casey received President Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, at Fisherman's Wharf, where houses and businesses lay in ruins following Hurricane Ian. After speaking separately next to a boat the hurricane had blown into a café, President Joe Biden and Governor Ron DeSantis spoke with locals who had been severely impacted by the storm.

The damage left by Hurricane Ian was monumental in scale. Trees in the path of Biden's motorcade had been slashed by the wind, with some completely toppled and others having their branches ripped back by the force of the storm. Lagoons of standing water formed in the fields just off the roadway.

Ian made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Florida's Gulf Coast last week and has left widespread destruction and floods. It has destroyed entire seaside towns and turned many structures into ruins, per Politico. The death toll is now at least 72 as search and rescue efforts persist.

DeSantis stated that electricity has been restored to more than 97% of the state. The governor detailed an enormous effort, saying that 2,505 people had been rescued, that 28 distribution centers had opened, and that 45 million bottled water had been delivered.

Hurricane Ian Ends Climate Change Debate

The Republican Florida Governor also thanked everyone in government for their collective effort and for "cutting through the bureaucracy." Biden has suggested that the first step for Floridians in need after the disaster is to enlist to see what support they qualify for. In addition, he promised to add more staff to reduce the wait time for assistance over the phone.

In recent years, Biden and DeSantis have disagreed on a wide range of issues, including immigration policy, the best way to combat COVID-19, and more.

Biden and DeSantis each took the opportunity to comment on the current crisis, wherein the president stated that the destruction he witnessed from Ian put a stop to the debate over whether climate change is actually happening and if action is necessary to stop it, according to WCHS TV's Eyewitness News.

While talking to media organizations, President Joe Biden noted that Hurricane Ian has "finally ended" the argument "whether or not there's climate change."

Hurricane Ian's most intense rainfall was 10% worse due to climate change, according to the first-look study by two US climate experts, as per a report from Bloomberg.

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Florida, United States, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Climate change, Democratic Party, Republican Party