Biden to survey NY and NJ storm damage after deadly flooding

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden volition survey harm successful parts of the northeast that suffered catastrophic flash flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, and usage the muddy backdrop to telephone for national spending to fortify infrastructure truthful it tin amended withstand specified almighty storms.

Biden is acceptable to circuit Manville, New Jersey, and the New York City borough of Queens connected Tuesday.

At slightest 50 radical were killed successful six Eastern states arsenic grounds rainfall past week overwhelmed rivers and sewer systems. Some radical were trapped successful fast-filling basement apartments and cars, oregon were swept distant arsenic they tried to escape. The tempest besides spawned respective tornadoes.

More than fractional of those deaths, 27, were recorded successful New Jersey. In New York City, 13 radical were killed, including 11 successful Queens.

Biden's sojourn follows a Friday travel to Louisiana, wherever Hurricane Ida archetypal made landfall, sidesplitting astatine slightest 13 radical successful the authorities and plunging New Orleans into darkness. Power is being dilatory restored.

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Manville, situated on New Jersey's Raritan River, is astir ever hard-hit by large storms. It was the country of catastrophic flooding successful 1998 arsenic the remnants of Tropical Storm Floyd swept implicit New Jersey. It besides sustained superior flooding during the aftermath of Hurricane Irene successful 2011 and Superstorm Sandy successful 2012.

Biden has approved large catastrophe declarations, making national assistance disposable for radical successful six New Jersey counties and 5 New York counties affected by the devastating floods.

Both New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio spent portion of Labor Day touring damaged communities. Deanne Criswell, the erstwhile metropolis exigency absorption manager who's present successful complaint astatine the Federal Emergency Management Agency, joined the mayor.

Biden utilized his quality successful Louisiana to transportation his plan, pending successful Congress, to walk $1 trillion connected modernizing roads, bridges, sewers and drainage systems, and different infrastructure to marque them amended capable to withstand the blows from much and much almighty storms.

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“Hurricane Ida is different reminder that we request to beryllium prepared for the adjacent hurricane and superstorms that are going to come, and they’re going to travel much often and much ferociously,” Biden said Friday successful a hard-hit residential vicinity successful LaPlace.

Murphy said helium would talk with Biden connected Tuesday astir adding different New Jersey counties to the catastrophe declaration.

Past presidents person been defined successful portion by however they grip specified crises, and Biden has seen respective weather-induced emergencies successful his abbreviated presidency, starting with a February crystal tempest that caused the powerfulness grid successful Texas to fail. He has besides been monitoring wildfires successful the West.

The White House has sought to represent Biden arsenic successful bid of the national effect to these earthy disasters, making it known that helium is getting regular updates from his squad and that helium is keeping successful interaction with governors and different elected officials successful the affected areas.

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As president, Donald Trump casually lobbed insubstantial towels to radical successful Puerto Rico aft Hurricane Maria's devastation successful 2017, generating scorn from critics but small harm to his governmental standing. Barack Obama hugged New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie aft Superstorm Sandy successful 2012, a little respite from partisan tensions that had threatened the economy. George W. Bush fell retired of nationalist favour owed to a mediocre and unprepared effect aft Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans successful 2005.

Scientists accidental clime alteration increases the frequence of utmost upwind events, including ample tropical storms that swirl into almighty hurricanes.

Ida was the fifth-most almighty tempest to deed the U.S. erstwhile it made landfall successful Louisiana connected Aug. 29. The storm’s remnants dropped devastating rainfall crossed parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, causing important disruption successful large cities.

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