Prez Joe Biden vows to help those affected by Hurricane Ida in Louisiana

US President Joe Biden and local officials toured a neighborhood in LaPlace. (Jonathan Ernst / Reuters)

On Friday, US President Joe Biden visited the hardest-hit districts of Louisiana, where at least nine people died, and pledged his support to those affected by Hurricane Ida.

A million people were without power and nearly 600,000 were without water as a result of the storm. It killed dozens of people throughout the Gulf Coast and in the northeast of the United States.

So, what did Biden have to say?

"I know you're hurting," Biden said after visiting one of the worst-affected neighborhoods, LaPlace, 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of New Orleans, alongside Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

"The storm has been incredible, not only here but all over the East Coast," Biden remarked, speaking after coping with the aftermath from the premature withdrawal from Kabul.

"I know you've got to be frustrated about the restoration of power," he continued, assuring impacted towns that government personnel were working with utility firms to restore power.

New Orleans is expected to regain power by Wednesday, according to utility authorities, after the storm knocked out power to more than 1 million people.

Residents were reassured by his words, "I promise we're going to have your back,"

What was the extent of the damage to the United States?

On Sunday, the fifth most powerful storm to slam the United States made landfall in Louisiana, wreaking havoc on the Gulf Coast and ripping along the East Coast.

At least 14 people were murdered by Hurricane Ida, which wreaked havoc on infrastructure and buildings across Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Climate change has been blamed once again by experts for the storm's severity.

Ida flooded New York, New Jersey, and the surrounding territories on Wednesday. On the East Coast, the death toll has risen to at least 46, with another six people reported missing in New Jersey.

Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey told NBC News on Friday that his state was "still not out of the woods" and that cleanup "may be a long road."

As the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked with the National Guard and the Red Cross to combat flood damage and destruction, Biden told the people of the northeast that "the nation is here to help,"

The dismantling of electricity pylons was exploited by Biden to demonstrate how his multibillion-dollar plan to bury power wires may save infrastructural expenditures in the long term.

"It appears to me that if we rebuild it in a better way, we can save a lot of money and a lot of pain for our constituents," Biden remarked.

Publish : 2021-09-04 09:29:00

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