Politics

Biden will travel to Florida this weekend to survey damage from Hurricane Milton

Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island after Hurricane Milton on Oct. 11, 2024.
Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island after Hurricane Milton on Oct. 11, 2024. ttompkins@bradenton.com

President Joe Biden will travel to Florida on Sunday to survey the damage from Hurricane Milton, which tore across the state this week, carving a path of destruction from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Ocean.

The White House did not say where exactly the president will visit, and is expected to release further details on the trip ahead of Sunday.

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Sarasota and Siesta Key on Wednesday night as a powerful Category 3 storm before making its way across Central Florida.

Biden, who’s nearing the end of his first and final term in the White House, has been tasked with responding to two massive hurricanes in recent weeks. He traveled to Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas last week after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the region.

During his last trip to Florida, Biden did not meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has largely sought to separate the state government’s response from that of the federal government.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Biden will meet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during his upcoming visit. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment.

Biden said on Wednesday that he had spoken to DeSantis about Hurricane Milton. In a news conference that same day, the president praised DeSantis as “gracious” for the Biden administration’s efforts.

MG
Max Greenwood
Miami Herald
Max Greenwood is the Miami Herald’s senior political correspondent. A Florida native, he covered campaigns at The Hill from both Washington, D.C. and Florida for six years before joining the Herald in 2023.
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