President Biden met with FEMA officials on Hurricane Ida on Sunday following landfall.
FEMA officials say they have spoken with the Governor ahead of landfall, they will be sending in resources in a soon as possible, they says.
President Biden, coming from a meeting with families of fallen soldiers in Afghanistan, was briefed on hurricane Ida on his arrival at FEMA headquarters.
Biden said that Ida is a life-threatening storm saying the devastation is likely to be immense. He urges that residents take the warnings seriously.
"As soon as the storm passes, we are going to put the country's full might behind the rescue and recovery," Edwards said.
He says that there are already resources set up and ready to go to respond.
Biden says there are 2.5 million meals, 3 million liters of water, generators, available an talks with power providers to get power back on. 13 urban search and rescue teams for recovery work 100 ambulance and emergency medial teams. Shelters are also being set up in the northern part of Louisiana and Mississippi.
In advance of the storm’s landfall, the President approved Emergency Declarations for the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, authorizing emergency preparation and protective measures, including direct Federal assistance such as power generation, air transportation assets, wildlife management assistance, and water management for both states.
"This is going to be a devastating hurricane, please take precautions, take it seriously. The whole federal government is ready to get to work. We will be here to help the gulf region get back on its feet as long as it takes," he said.
According to the White House, Sunday morning, Senior Advisor and Director of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham convened calls with members of the Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi congressional delegations as well as with Louisiana local leaders to update them on the Administration’s preparations for Hurricane Ida.
In their calls, the officials made clear the Administration is ready to provide assistance as needed and aid local emergency response efforts. Additionally, Richmond spoke individually with Louisiana Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, Louisiana Congressmembers Steve Scalise, Garret Graves, and Troy Carter, and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to get updates and offer support.
The President also spoke with the Governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama on Friday to make clear that states have the full support of the Federal government. Yesterday, the President called FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to thank the staff on National Response Coordination Center, the multiagency center that coordinates disaster response and prioritizes the allocation of Federal government resources.
More than 2,400 FEMA employees were deployed, and Incident Management Assistance Teams and Urban Search and Rescue teams were activated. FEMA also prepositioned millions of meals and liters of water, as well as tarps, generators, and additional ambulances.
The American Red Cross has opened shelters across the impacted states with cots, blankets, comfort kits and ready-to-eat meals as well and is implementing steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including through the use of masking, rapid testing, and social distancing.
The Coast Guard proactively positioned vessels and aircraft for search and rescue efforts. The Department of Energy is working with private sector power providers, and power restoration crews from nearby states and power restoration experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are prepositioned to help get the power back on as fast as feasible. The Army Corps of Engineers has also activated planning and response teams for debris, temporary roofing, and temporary housing.
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