President Biden visited Florida on Wednesday to meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and assess the damage caused by Hurricane Ian.
The storm hit Florida last week as a Category 4 hurricane and caused devastating damage, with state and local officials reporting at least 100 deaths, per The New York Times.
The two political rivals called a temporary truce to survey the state. DeSantis and his wife greeted the president and first lady Jill Biden before an operational briefing and an aerial tour of the area. President Biden also met with local residents about the damages, reported ABC News.
After assessing the ruin, President Biden promised to provide the area with long-term federal aid, CNN reported. He also referenced the 4,000 personnel on the ground, as well as the assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Further, the president touted how he pushed the Small Business Administration to speed up the processing of disaster loans, and vowed that the government would cover 100 percent of the cost of storm clean-up, added CNN. DeSantis said in a press conference that Florida is "fortunate to have good coordination with the White House and FEMA from the very beginning of this."
"We have a long road ahead of us," Biden said, "rebuilding entire communities from the ground up."