ST. PETE BEACH — President Joe Biden made a return to Florida on Sunday, a state that has been under siege from consecutive hurricanes, to evaluate the destruction caused by Hurricane Milton and facilitate federal assistance for a recovery process that is anticipated to span years and cost billions.

Biden had visited Florida just ten days prior to assess the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck the Big Bend area as a Category 4 storm, creating havoc as it moved north through Georgia, North Carolina, and further regions.

The president’s latest trip came after Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9 on Siesta Key, hitting as a Category 3 storm and inflicting further devastation. As of Sunday morning, nearly a million residents in Florida remained without electricity, and fuel shortages were still a pressing issue.

After landing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Biden took a helicopter tour over the affected areas, engaged with state and local officials, interacted with storm-affected residents and first responders, and addressed the media in front of a collapsed residence in St. Pete Beach, a community severely hit by the storm surge.

“We’re committed to restoring power to your homes, not just to assist in recovery but to help you rebuild stronger,” Biden stated.

From Helene to Milton, a large portion of Florida’s West Coast has been heavily impacted – spanning from small coastal towns like Steinhatchee and Cedar Key down through the densely populated Tampa Bay area and Sarasota.

Over 200 fatalities were reported due to Helene across several states, with Milton accounting for at least 17 deaths.

Coastal regions faced devastating flood waters, while other areas suffered severe wind damage, especially from tornadoes connected to Milton, alongside flooding from intense rainfall.

The hurricanes have also intensified political disputes, with Republicans, led by former President Donald Trump, claiming that the Biden administration’s response to storm victims has been inadequate, which Biden disputed as Election Day approaches in three weeks.

Such crises, Biden emphasized on Sunday, should lead to bipartisan collaboration.

“In times like these, we unite to support each other, regardless of our political affliction, as Americans,” he stated. “We are a united country.”

Among those welcoming Biden in Florida were Republican representatives, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. Biden later revealed to reporters that he did not communicate with GOP Governor Ron DeSantis during this visit.

“Both Republicans and Democrats are satisfied with our efforts,” Biden expressed. “Progress is being made.”

DeSantis’ emergency management director, Kevin Guthrie, was present at the St. Pete Beach event.

Before Biden’s Sunday visit, the White House provided a detailed account of measures taken before and after the hurricanes to allocate federal resources to the affected areas.

Biden highlighted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has distributed 1.2 million meals, over 300,000 liters of water, and 2 million gallons of fuel while setting up 100 satellite terminals to enhance communications. He mentioned that the federal government has launched 10 disaster recovery centers in Florida, with more to follow, and noted that over 250,000 individuals had registered for federal disaster aid the day before his visit.

Although a significant number of Floridians are still without power, more than 2 million residents have had their service restored in recent days thanks to utility crews from 43 states and Canada, as reported by Biden.

The president also announced federal funding for future storm preparedness – allocating $614 million in grants to communities to strengthen their electrical infrastructure, which includes $94 million designated for Florida.

Storm debris congested the streets around the location where Biden addressed the audience in St. Pete.

Storm surges from the Gulf have left many homes and businesses severely damaged, with ruined items like mattresses, dressers, chairs, and filing cabinets strewn on curbs.

Most businesses remain closed, and many are still boarded up. One shop displayed signs on what looked like mattress box springs that read, “Mr. President, Small Businesses Need Help” and “Family Owned Since 1988 and Devastated.”

Paul Giardina, who part-time resides in St. Pete Beach, was pleased to see the president visiting, hoping it would expedite recovery efforts. Giardina lives in a one-story condo building of seven units located near where Biden gave his speech. Fortunately, his property, which is just a short distance from the Gulf, sustained minimal damage from both storms Helene and Milton.

Helene brought around half an inch of water into his building, damaging a bed, rugs, and other items. Milton, on the other hand, tore off some shingles from the roof. Yet, he felt fortunate as he noted that a house behind him lost its entire roof, and a condo next door took on more than 3 feet of water inside.

“We were the lucky ones,” he stated.

During the summer, Giardina resides in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he runs an excavating business. For the past six winters, he has spent time in St. Pete Beach along with two brothers, three cousins, and a friend in their jointly purchased condo building.

He arrived in Florida just a day after Helene to check on his property, hiring a teenager for $50 to take him on a jet ski to the island. Despite his place weathering the storms relatively well, the surrounding community faced devastation.

“It’s pretty horrifying,” Giardina remarked. “It looks like a war zone, especially anything within two blocks of the beach.”

St. Pete Beach is located in Pinellas County, where Cathi Perkins serves as the emergency management director. She mentioned that about half of the customers who lost electricity after Milton have had their service restored while walking towards the vacant lot where Biden spoke.

The community is feeling exhausted and frustrated, Perkins shared, but it’s a relief to see that additional help is on the way.

“We’re just very thankful that both the state and federal governments are here to support us and provide resources,” Perkins added. “It means a lot to the people to see that they are not alone.”