FLORIDA, USA — President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Florida on Wednesday, Oct. 5., following the deadly impacts of Hurricane Ian in the southwestern region of the state, the White House announced. He will be joined by First Lady Jill Biden.
The White House did not say where in the state Biden is traveling to but did announce that he and the First Lady will also be making a trip to Puerto Rico on Monday, Oct. 3., after the region was impacted by Hurricane Fiona.
Hurricane Ian tore through southwest Florida on Wednesday leaving behind flooded neighborhoods and mass destruction.
The storm caused catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding over the Florida peninsula as it made landfall, the National Hurricane Center said.
The Medical Examiners Commission confirmed on Saturday that there are now 58 deaths in Florida relating to the impacts of Hurricane Ian, including six deaths in the Tampa Bay region.
As Ian has made landfall in Florida, Biden ordered federal aid to supplement the state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the storm. This came after Gov. Ron DeSantis made the request Wednesday, according to his office.
Declaring it a major disaster, funding is made available to affected individuals in the counties of Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota.
To apply, people can use the FEMA app on their phones, go to disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 anytime between 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The White House said more details about Biden's visit to Florida will be provided soon.