President Joe Biden visited Florida on Sunday for the second time in just over a week to assess the damage left by Hurricane Milton. The state is still struggling with nearly 1 million power outages, fuel shortages, and severe flooding caused by the deadly storm.
Biden’s visit included remarks in St. Petersburg, one of the hardest-hit areas. The city first endured a sideswipe from Category 4 Hurricane Helene before being pummeled by Hurricane Milton, which made landfall Thursday night as a Category 3 storm. The hurricane brought 100 mph winds and dumped 18 inches of rain, wreaking havoc as it tore across the state before heading into the Atlantic.
The storm caused widespread destruction, flooding neighborhoods, toppling homes, and tearing the roof off a major sports stadium. A massive crane collapsed into an office building, and multiple counties were left nearly without power. Tornadoes spun off from Milton before landfall, devastating several areas. At least 17 deaths have been linked to the hurricane.
The White House announced on Saturday that Biden approved a disaster declaration for more than half of Florida’s counties, unlocking federal funding for temporary housing, home repairs, and loans for affected residents.
By Sunday morning, over 958,000 homes and businesses were still without power, with Pinellas County, including St. Petersburg and Clearwater, seeing the most outages.
Flooding remains a major concern, as rescue operations are ongoing in some areas, and rising waters continue to trap residents. The Saint Johns River, which is already at major flood stage, is expected to rise further, prompting possible evacuations in central and eastern Florida. The National Weather Service warned that areas like Volusia and Seminole counties could face weeks of significant flood impacts.
