Biden pledges 'all the assistance that’s needed' after Ida

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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden connected Thursday said his medication was “ready to supply each the assistance that’s needed" successful effect to a monolithic wildfire successful California and to Hurricane Ida, which knocked retired powerfulness and wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast earlier causing deadly flooding and tornadoes successful the Northeast.

Ida was the 5th astir almighty tempest to onslaught the U.S. erstwhile it deed Louisiana connected Sunday with maximum winds of 150 mph (240 kph), apt causing tens of billions of dollars successful flood, upwind and different damage, including to the electrical grid. The storm's remnants dropped devastating rainfall crossed parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey connected Wednesday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 18 radical and causing important disruption to large colonisation centers.

More than 1 cardinal homes and businesses successful Louisiana and Mississippi remained without power aft Ida toppled a large transmission operation and knocked retired thousands of miles of lines and hundreds of substations. New Orleans was plunged into full darkness; powerfulness began returning to parts of the metropolis connected Wednesday. Biden is acceptable to sojourn Louisiana connected Friday to survey immoderate of the damage.

Biden said the flooding successful Louisiana was little than the portion experienced during Hurricane Katrina, crediting national investments successful the area's levee system. “It held, it was strong, it worked," helium said astatine the White House.

“We cognize that determination is overmuch to beryllium done successful this effect connected our part," Biden added. "We request to get powerfulness restored. We request to get much food, substance and h2o deployed.”

He said helium was receiving hourly updates connected the catastrophe effect and outlined efforts by the national authorities to easiness betterment efforts, including by making outer imagery disposable to inferior companies and waiving immoderate regulatory requirements.

Biden added helium directed the Department of Energy to usage the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to guarantee the dependable proviso of substance to the region.

Biden said the Pentagon was assisting with ongoing firefighting operations successful California against the Caldor fire.

He said the crises, were “yet different reminder that these utmost storms and the clime situation are here."

“It’s a substance of beingness and death, and we’re each successful it together," helium added.

Biden said helium was assured that his sojourn to Louisiana would not interfere with the alleviation efforts successful the state.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards suggested the sojourn would beryllium important for the president to recognize the demolition by seeing the wide harm for himself.

“There’s thing rather similar visiting successful person,” Edwards told reporters Wednesday pursuing a briefing with section elected officials successful Jefferson Parish, which took nonstop blows from Ida. “When you spot it for yourself, it is conscionable truthful overmuch much compelling.”

Asked what benignant of assistance helium planned to petition from Biden, Edwards said, “Quite frankly, the database is going to beryllium very, precise long.” But helium said a precedence would beryllium for a lodging programme to assistance radical rebuild.

The White House says Biden has been getting regular updates connected the tempest and its aftermath. He has held respective league calls with governors and section officials to sermon preparations and needs aft the storm, and has received briefings from FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

FEMA had sent tons of supplies, including generators, tarps and different materials to the portion earlier the storm, and national effect teams are moving connected hunt and rescue.

Authorities blasted the tempest for astatine slightest six deaths.

Biden's travel Friday to the Gulf portion volition headdress a hard agelong for the president, who oversaw the chaotic exit of the U.S. subject from Afghanistan aft a 20-year engagement. That included the deaths of 13 U.S. work members helping evacuate much than 120,000 Americans, Afghan allies and others fleeing beingness nether Taliban rule.

As Ida bore down connected the Gulf Coast connected Sunday, Biden was astatine Dover Air Force Base successful Delaware to witnesser the instrumentality of the remains of the 13 U.S. servicemen and women who were killed successful termination bombing past week astatine Afghanistan's airdrome successful Kabul, wherever the evacuations were taking place.

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Associated Press writer Melinda Deslatte successful Baton Rouge, La., contributed to this report.

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