President Joe Biden arrived in Tampa early Sunday morning, accompanied by federal and local officials. They toured the devastation Hurricane Milton caused, which struck Florida just days after Hurricane Helene. After conducting an aerial assessment, Biden took a helicopter to St. Pete Beach, a barrier island that both storms hit particularly hard. During his visit, Biden announced $612 million for hurricane recovery.
Although Milton caused less total damage than initial forecasts predicted, communities like St. Pete and areas around Tampa grappled with the wreckage that Helene left behind, significantly straining local infrastructure. The president highlighted the personal losses many residents faced, including homes, lives, and cherished belongings.
Biden’s motorcade passed through neighborhoods ravaged by the storms. They stopped near a toppled building on Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach. The devastation stood out with entire structures torn apart, bent palm trees, and debris littering the streets.
The $612 million for hurricane recovery includes funding for six Department of Energy projects aimed at strengthening electric grids in areas impacted by hurricanes. This includes $94 million allocated for Florida, with $47 million designated for Gainesville Regional Utilities. Then, another $47 million for Switched Source, a company focused on modernizing infrastructure in partnership with Florida Power and Light.
As of 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, approximately 850,000 customers across the state remained without power, down from over 3 million during the storm’s peak. The president emphasized the need for swift recovery efforts, stating that this funding will restore power and strengthen the region’s power system to reduce the frequency and duration of outages amid increasing extreme weather events.
On Friday, Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Florida, freeing up federal funds for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-cost loans for uninsured property losses. He also directed FEMA to open 10 disaster recovery centers across the state to assist residents.
In addition to Milton’s significant damage, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane and has been linked to at least 17 deaths, Hurricane Helene has left a known death toll of 227 across the Southeast, with many communities still struggling to recover.
Biden expressed gratitude for local officials and first responders, who have worked tirelessly to support affected communities. As recovery efforts continue, communities across Florida face a daunting road ahead as they navigate the aftermath of two significant storms in quick succession.