President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning about Hurricane Milton, calling it “one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit Florida in over a century.” He emphasized that the storm still “carries incredible destructiveness,” and is capable of devastating communities and causing significant loss of lives.

In an address from the Roosevelt Room at the White House on October 9, 2024, Biden highlighted that the potential storm surge could reach up to 13 feet. He urged everyone in the storm’s path to heed local officials’ instructions and follow all safety guidelines.

The President also re-assured that the White House had approved emergency declarations for Florida, with thousands of federal personnel already deployed on the ground.

“We have 20 million meals, 40 million liters of water. In my direction, the Secretary of Defense [Lloyd] Austin has pre-positioned search and rescue teams, helicopters and high-water speed vehicles as close to the storm as possible, so they’re ready to conduct lifesaving missions,” added President Biden. “The Administrator of FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] will be on site tonight in Florida in the State’s Emergency Operations Center. Both Administrator [Deanne] Criswell and I will be in constant contact with state and local officials in the hours ahead.”

He pointed out that in recent weeks, there has been a “reckless, irresponsible, and relentless promotion of disinformation,” including outright lies about the ongoing situation. These lies are eroding public trust in the people of Florida and undermining the incredible rescue and recovery efforts being planned. He further said that thousands of fellow Americans are risking their lives to carry out the dangerous work that needs to be done.

The President referred to these lies as “un-American.”

He further commented on the increasingly bizarre claims, highlighting that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has even suggested that the “federal government is literally controlling the weather.”

Re-assuring Floridians, Biden said, “We’ve got your back,” emphasizing that both he and Vice President Kamala Harris will be there to “rescue, recover, and rebuild.”

Earlier, during a daily press briefing with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, FEMA Administrator Criswell joined via video conference to address questions from reporters about the Hurricane.

Criswell emphasized that Hurricane Milton is expected to be a “catastrophic storm,” and urged residents in its path to follow guidance from local officials, who will provide the most up-to-date information on necessary actions. She warned that the storm will bring a “deadly storm surge, with intense winds, flooding, and already bringing tornadoes across Florida.”  

“My heart goes out to all of the Floridians who have been in the path of many storms.  They have had impacts from Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Idalia, and now Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Floridians, they’re no strangers to these storms, but this one, Hurricane Milton, is expected to be catastrophic,” she noted emphasizing that she is in contact with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Mayors of cities that the hurricane will likely impact. 

Criswell also re-assured that FEMA is prepared and ready to respond to the storm while continuing recovery efforts for states affected by Hurricane Helene.

When asked about the number of people disregarding evacuation orders and staying in harm’s way, she responded, “We know there’s always a few that want to stay behind and protect their home. This storm is different. This storm is going to bring deadly storm surge, and so I want people who still have time to evacuate…”

She also addressed the issue of misinformation and disinformation surrounding storm recovery efforts, emphasizing that incorrect information hinders FEMA’s ability to effectively communicate with the public.

“The biggest thing is that — what I am hearing is people that are not coming to us and asking us for assistance. They’re not registering for the help that they need, or they are afraid to approach some of our staff because they are unsure of what the government is doing,” she said highlighting the real-world impact that misinformation is having on people’s lives. “I think one of the biggest ones that I continue to hear is that we’re going to take their land from them.  Simply untrue. When you register for assistance, we give you an initial amount of money, $750, to help support those immediate needs. And there were rumors out there that if you — you received this money and you didn’t pay it back that we would take your home.  Simply untrue.”