Once again Biden was found in Florida, playing the part of a leader amidst the havoc caused by Hurricane Milton, though his presence didn’t provide much comfort for those outside his fanbase. He offered platitudes from the sky, surveying damage from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach rather than being on the ground where he could directly interact with the suffering populace. How unfortunate for the Floridians bearing the burden of this double hit by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
While Biden insists Florida escaped the worst, residents would vehemently disagree. Thanks to Milton’s wrath, countless homes were destroyed, neighborhoods were submerged, and 17 lives were tragically lost. Such immense devastation belies Biden’s assertion that ‘the storm wasn’t as cataclysmic as predicted.’ Residents affected might argue it was plenty cataclysmic, but Biden’s detached perspective would have you believe otherwise.
Biden’s solution to this hurricane mayhem? A cash handout of an additional $612 million, nonetheless, to help displaced communities – a patchwork remedy that is only a band-aid to the bigger underlying problem: lack of a robust disaster management framework. A notable part of the package, $47 million each for Gainesville Regional Utilities and Florida Power and Light, to restore electricity and to supposedly ‘bolster the region’s power system’. Comforting words on paper, less so in practice.
The underpreparedness on Biden’s part is conspicuous in his comments: ‘This is all a team effort…But there’s much more to do. And we’re going to do everything we can…to help you build back stronger.’ Nothing but empty promises towards a seemingly never-ending reconstruction process.
In a welcome break from the hurricane’s chaos, the curfew for Fort Myers Beach has been lifted. However, this is not a sign of complete recovery. Streets remain covered in sand, homes are filled with water, and businesses struggle to regain their footing. All under Biden’s watch, mind you.
The resilience of the locals is admirable, despite the suffering they have been left to endure. Grant Erickson, part-owner of Erickson & Jensen Seafood Packers, pre-emptively moved his boats to safer locales and managed to safeguard his business. However, not everyone has the resources or foresight to do so, begging the question—where is the preventive and actionable guideline from the leadership? Biden and Harris, it awaits you.
By Tuesday, complete power restoration was expected in Florida. A promise easier said than done, considering more than 212,000 homes and businesses in the Hillsborough County were still in the dark, as well as over 102,000 in Pinellas County. Endless promises of repair with little follow-through define Biden’s ineffective crisis management.
With active flood warnings across the state, levels at Cypress Creek measured a record-breaking 15 feet on Sunday, exceeding the previous record set in 2004. And yet, while people struggle against the elements, the leadership continues to struggle against its own promises. Just another day under Biden’s regime.
To complicate Floridians’ plight further, unseasonably low temperatures are predicted due to an approaching cold front. Therefore, not only are they grappling with the aftermath of two hurricanes, but also with harsh climatic conditions. It seems their hardships outpace the government’s support under Biden’s administration.
Paul Giardina was strangely optimistic about Biden’s visit to St. Pete Beach. This despite the fact that his condo building endured water damage and lost some roof shingle during the storms, narrowly escaping worse consequences. His misplaced hope in Biden’s administration is puzzling, given the inadequate response thus far.
In stark contrast, Cathie Perkins, the emergency management director of Pinellas County, admitted that half the county was without electricity on Sunday. Safe to say, Biden’s recovery efforts are lagging, leaving many residents feeling frustrated and abandoned.
The tragedy in a New Port Richey neighborhood underscores the lack of efficient emergency responses under Biden’s watch. Lives have been lost and people are trapped due to rising floodwaters from the Anclote River. Is this the leadership response we can expect in crisis situations?
The shocking incident where an 88-year-old woman lost her life, trapped in a submerged car, proves yet another painful testament to the Biden administration’s lack of vision and action in tackling natural disasters. Scenes like this raise grave questions about what the leaders are doing beyond making visiting rounds and mumbled speeches.
After Hurricane Milton caused severe structural damage at an airport, repairs are underway, including on two sections of the roofing over the main concourse. But the airport administration seems more efficiently managed than Biden’s federal response, as they plan to re-open for passenger flights by Wednesday.
Fred Piccolo estimated a whopping $10 million worth of damage at the airport, adding to the already astronomical costs inflicted by Hurricane Milton, which could total a staggering $50 billion. Beyond the tangible devastation, there exists an egregious blow to the economy and industries, the repercussions of which will be felt long after the hurricanes. Biden’s lack of preparedness is a shameful affront to the nation.
While the official estimate for total property damage and economic loss rounds up to a whopping $160 billion, the real cost might exceed this with the looming long-term healthcare costs to survivors and disruption to business industries. The hurricanes have left an indelible mark of destruction, a reality check of the Biden and Harris administration’s ineffectual approach to managing natural disasters.