By Luis De Jesus
07 Oct 2024, 22:22 PM EDT
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, managed to establish contact with the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, to coordinate emergency measures against the imminent arrival of Hurricane Milton, a category 5 phenomenon that threatens to severely impact the state.
This dialogue occurred after reports indicating that DeSantis had avoided answering the president’s calls.
The White House confirmed the conversation in which both leaders discussed preparations to face Hurricane Milton and evaluated recovery efforts after Helene, which left 230 victims in the southeast of the country.
Joe Biden requested a direct report on the situation in Florida and reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting rescue and recovery efforts, Efe reports.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre indicated that Ron DeSantis previously spoke with Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We are fulfilling our obligation to help Americans in these difficult times,” said Jean-Pierre, in response to questions about the delay in communication between Biden and the governor.
DeSantis confirmed in a press conference that he was unable to take Biden’s call initially because he was in a helicopter at the time. However, the governor assured that Florida has received all the necessary assistance from the federal government.
“The requested federal aid has arrived in a timely manner,” he declared.
On the other hand, Vice President Kamala Harris criticized those who prioritize politics in emergency situations.
“This is a time when leaders must put aside partisan interests and focus on the people,” said the Democratic candidate.
Furthermore, he described any attempt to politicize the climate crises as “irresponsible.”
Joe Biden also contacted the mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor, to evaluate evacuation measures in the city, one of the areas expected to be most affected by Milton, whose winds reach 280 kilometers per hour.
The president urged both the governor and mayor to contact him directly if additional assistance is needed.
Florida is preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017, in an effort to protect the population from the hurricane, which will cross the state from west to east starting on Wednesday.
Keep reading:
• State of emergency declared in Miami-Dade due to the arrival of Hurricane Milton
• Hurricane Milton: this is how Florida prepares for the “largest evacuation” in years
• Hurricane Milton threatens Buccaneers and forces them to leave Tampa