“The last days of Hurricane Ida and the wildfires in the West and the unprecedented flooding in New York and New Jersey is one more reminder that these extreme storms and the climate crisis are here,” Biden said, speaking. from the White House.
The president said the nation needs to be better prepared and argued that his plan would make key investments to make power grids and transmission lines more resistant to storms, wildfires and floods.
Biden said he had spoken with the governors of New York and New Jersey in the wake of the floods and damage, and said he planned to speak with the governor of Pennsylvania.
“There is a lot of damage and I have made it clear to the governors that my team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, is on the ground and is willing to provide all the necessary assistance,” Biden said in statements to the White House.
“My message to all concerned is that we are all together. The nation is here to help you. This is the message I have been making clear to the mayors, governors, energy leaders and utilities of the region. in whom my administration has been working closely with the last few days, ”Biden said.
Biden said since the hurricane made landfall, more than 6,000 National Guard members have been activated in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas and other states to support search and rescue efforts.
“We know there is a lot to do in this response on our part. We need to restore energy. We need to deploy more food, fuel and water,” Biden said.
The president said he received hourly updates on FEMA’s relief efforts until well into the night and said his team would work “all day until the region’s critical needs are fully met. And we will meet them.”
Biden said his team has been working with private companies to accelerate energy restoration and mobile phone services.
“It’s starting to recover, but there’s a long way to go,” Biden said.
“We are here for you,” Biden said, addressing those affected by the storm. “And we make sure the response and recovery is equitable, so that those most affected get the resources they need and are not left behind.”
Biden noted that the region affected by the hurricane is a key center of the country’s oil production and refining infrastructure. As a result, he said his administration is moving fast to increase gas availability and relieve pressure on gas prices across the country.
The president said he had ordered Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, “to use all the tools at her disposal, including the use of the Strategic Oil Reserve to maintain the flow of gas to the pumps to get supplies. critics in the region “.
Biden also asked private insurance companies to pay their policyholders what they owe to cover the cost of temporary housing in the midst of the natural disaster.
“Don’t hide behind small print and technicality. Do your job. Keep your commitment to your communities that you ensure. Do the right thing,” Biden said.
Biden met Monday with FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell and governors and mayors of states and cities affected by Ida after the storm hit Louisiana on Sunday and caused catastrophic damage.
Residents are now facing gas shortages and declining supplies and power outages in some Louisiana parishes could last at least a month.
The president spoke Monday about the number of actions the federal government had taken, including collaborating with private-sector energy suppliers to restore energy to the more than one million Louisians who were out of power at the time. electricity.
Prior to the storm, Biden approved the Louisiana state’s request for a federal declaration of major disasters and the Mississippi state’s request for an emergency declaration. He said these statements allowed federal aid to be prepared early to complement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Ida.
The president visited FEMA headquarters in Washington on Sunday to receive information about the storm. While there, Biden warned that the hurricane was life-threatening and that the devastation would likely be immense.
This story has been updated with further developments of Biden’s speech.