U.S. RESPONSE TO HURRICANE MICHAEL

President Trump surveys hurricane damage

As President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit Florida and Georgia today, thousands of first responders and volunteers have mobilized to restore the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Michael. This storm of historic proportions has been met in turn with a massive Federal response.

Here’s a look at that response, by the numbers:

• A major on-the-ground operation: More than 16,000 Federal employees, including over 8,000 military personnel, have been deployed.
• Search-and-rescue efforts underway: FEMA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Guard are working alongside state responders and volunteers. As of this morning, they have completed 110 evacuations, 4,193 rescues/assists, 15,287 shelter-in-place checks, 128 animal assists, and 16,827 structural assessments.
• Power restoration a top priority: More than 35,000 utility workers from 26 states are working to bring power back to impacted areas.
• Food and water distribution: In Florida, FEMA has provided 715,000 meals and 1.5 million liters of water per day. FEMA has also transferred more than 350,000 meals to Georgia, and 30+ distribution sites are being supported.

Over the weekend, President Trump issued a major disaster declaration for Georgia and mobilized additional disaster assistance for Florida. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams have been knocking on doors to help families register for support. So far, more than 28,000 individuals and households have registered for assistance.

“The response to Hurricane Michael continues,” FEMA reports via Facebook. “Tens of thousands of industry workers continued restoring power and volunteers with many different organizations served hot meals and provided comfort.”

“We’ve called for maximum relief,” President Trump said as he and the First Lady spent today meeting with first responders, volunteers, and families affected by the storm. When asked about his biggest priority for today’s trip, his answer was simple: “Just making sure everyone is safe, that they’re fed.”

Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead

President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visit Florida after Hurricane Michael | October 15, 2018 

President Trump with Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who said the administration has followed through with resources.Photo: kevin lamarque/Reuters

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By Alex Leary Updated Oct. 15, 2018 7:15 p.m. ET

President Trump toured hurricane-torn areas of Florida and Georgia on Monday, declaring that “nobody has seen anything like this” as crews continued to restore power and residents grappled with the devastation.

“Many of these people have no—they have no homes,” Mr. Trump said after arriving at Eglin Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle. “Some of them have no trace of a home. You wouldn’t even know it. It just got blown right off the footing.”

He said he would ask Congress for disaster funding, though no amount was given. Mr. Trump emphasized the main priority is providing food, water and safety for residents, and said utility crews were working hard to restore electricity. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who joined him, said, “We have a lot of work to do.”

Hurricane Michael slammed into Florida as a Category 4 storm on Oct. 10, initially packing 155 mile-per-hour winds, and continued north to Virginia, leaving nearly 20 people dead and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity.

Mr. Trump on Monday singled out the work of first responders and law enforcement. “The job they’ve done in Florida has been incredible and likewise, I’m hearing in Georgia very good things.”

Homes destroyed in Mexico Beach, which took a direct hit from the storm. Photo: hector retamal/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

But the fallout from the storm continued to mount. Florida news outlets reported on growing frustrations and some looting. In tiny Mexico Beach, which was virtually flattened, three residents remained unaccounted for, police said Monday, down from about 30. The storm badly damaged Verizon CommunicationsInc.’s wireless network, leading to criticism from state officials about spotty service.

Reporters trailing Mr. Trump flew over Panama City and Mexico Beach and observed thousands of uprooted trees stacked in uneven rows and homes with roofs ripped open or missing completely. Other buildings were torn from foundations. Debris was everywhere. Near Mexico Beach, a water tower lay on its side and trucks were scattered like toys in a parking lot. At heavily damaged Tyndall Air Force Base, damage to buildings was readily visible.

The storm has also interrupted Florida’s busy campaign season, with candidates prioritizing storm recovery efforts over campaigning. But the president’s support for the governor’s leadership could serve as a boost for his tight race for Senate against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.

  

Residents in several southern states are bearing the brunt of the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S. Photo: Dan Anderson/EPA

Mr. Trump repeatedly praised Mr. Scott, who in turn said the administration had followed through with resources. “Everything we ask for, they have delivered,” Mr. Scott said.

Mr. Nelson did his own tour of the area. “People are hurting,” he said on CNN. “They need food, they need water.”

At a distribution center in Lynn Haven, north of Panama City, Mr. Trump passed out water bottles with first lady Melania Trump. “These are some of the people who make it work, and they do it beautifully,” he said of volunteers registering storm victims.

He then traveled to Macon, Ga., for a briefing at an American Red Cross building. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the former Georgia governor, said pecan and cotton crops were particularly hard-hit. Mr. Trump visited with a couple farmers and sought to reassure them.

“We just left Florida and the people there are thrilled with our people and our talent,” Mr. Trump said during the briefing. “What they were not thrilled with was this hurricane.”

It was the latest post-disaster trip for Mr. Trump, whose administration has had to contend with a number of devastating storms. Pressed by a reporter on the contribution of climate change, Mr. Trump said, “We’ve been hit by the weather, there is no doubt about it. There is something there, man-made or not.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-visits-hurricane-torn-florida-offers-praise-and-support-1539627865

Among the Ruins of Mexico Beach Stands One House, Built ‘For the Big One’

The New York Times

Hurricane Michael wrecked every other beachfront house on the block, but one came through the storm nearly pristine, ...