Biden Says Hurricane Milton 'Could be One of the Worst Storms in 100 Years in Florida'

TIME

President Joe Biden said he is postponing a planned trip to Germany and Angola to remain at the White House to monitor Hurricane Milton, which is bearing down on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Transcript

00:00Thanks for your patience.

00:03As you know, I put out a statement this morning

00:04I'm canceling my trip to Germany and Africa.

00:08I just don't think I can be out of the country at this time.

00:12Number one. Number two, we're going to stay focused

00:19on what's ahead of us right now.

00:22I've been briefed by senior leaders of this administration

00:29and who are driving our preparedness

00:30for Hurricane Milton,

00:32which could be one of the worst storms in 100 years in Florida,

00:37and continued efforts on Hurricane Helene.

00:41I directed this team to do everything you can

00:43to save lives and our communities,

00:46help our communities before, during,

00:48and after these extreme weather events,

00:51and that's being done.

00:53That's being done.

00:54I've spoken to all the political leaders in the region,

00:57some of them more than once,

00:59and I've told them anything they ask for, they can get.

01:04They've been given, and we've got an overwhelming response,

01:07a positive response from everyone

01:09from the governors of Florida up to North Carolina.

01:14You know, I've been in constant contact

01:17with our director of the National Weather Service,

01:20Ken Graham, who's kept me informed

01:23the last several days of what to anticipate.

01:25You never know until it happens,

01:26but they're very, very engaged.

01:29He made clear to me just how dangerous this storm is,

01:32indicating that winds had reached up to 180 miles an hour.

01:37180.

01:38That's not guaranteed it's going to hit the shore at 180 miles,

01:41but they've reached up to 180 miles an hour.

01:44And a possible storm surge,

01:46as it hits the coast of Florida, of 15 feet,

01:50which can be devastating.

01:52The current path of the storm is expected to the Tampa Bay area

01:55and cut directly across the state, east to west,

01:57all the way across the state,

01:59with the potential for this storm

02:01to both enter Florida as a hurricane

02:04and leave Florida as a hurricane on the Atlantic coast.

02:08This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century.

02:12And God willing, it won't be,

02:13but that's what it's looking like right now.

02:16Most importantly, I've urged everyone,

02:18everyone currently located in Hurricane Milton's path

02:21to listen to local officials

02:23and follow safety instructions.

02:25You all have been reporting on the highways,

02:27shoulders being opened, everybody's heading out.

02:30And if you're under evacuation orders,

02:33you should evacuate now, now, now.

02:35You should have already evacuated.

02:37It's a matter of life and death, and that's not hyperbole.

02:40It's a matter of life and death.

02:42So let me add that FEMA has provided 300 ambulances

02:47to move people who can't move themselves

02:49out of healthcare facilities.

02:51And while we prepare for Hurricane Milton,

02:53we're still surging resources in North Carolina,

02:55Georgia, South Carolina, Florida,

02:57Tennessee to respond to Hurricane Elena.

02:59What's the risk of political figures

03:02sharing misinformation during this time?

03:08Those who do it, do it to try to damage the administration.

03:13Well, that's we can take care of ourselves.

03:16But it misleads people.

03:17It puts people in circumstances where they panic,

03:20where they're really, really, really worried.

03:22They think, no, we're not being taken care of.

03:25And it really is, it's going to sound,

03:27I'm using an old phrase, it's un-American.

03:29It really is.

03:31People are scared to death.

03:33People know their lives are at stake.

03:36All that they've worked for, all that they own,

03:38all that they value.

03:40And it's just, it's just, anyway.

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