WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – As Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida the federal government is rushing to ensure communities in its path are prepared.
The message from Washington is simple, people in the path of this storm need to hunker down.
The president, vice president and the FEMA director all participated in a public briefing Wednesday afternoon and promised the federal government is working around the clock to help.
“My team has done everything possible to prepare for the storm,” said President Joe Biden.
The White House says the federal government has deployed more than 1000 federal personnel to Florida and is cutting through red tape to prevent any delays in emergency aid.
Deanne Criswell, who leads FEMA, is heading to Florida to aid Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
She says she will stay for days after the storm to assess the damage.
“This is going to be a serious storm, one that could forever change communities that are still recovering from Helene,” said Criswell.
Vice President Kamala Harris joined the emergency briefing from New York.
“Please listen to your local officials. They know what they’re talking about…and if you are told to evacuate, please evacuate immediately do not wait until it is too late,” said Harris.
Governor DeSantis is urging people to go to shelters and warns anyone staying behind.
“You will likely lose power. If you’re in the path of this storm just be prepared for that, have a plan to deal with it,” said DeSantis.
Milton is expected to make landfall Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm with wind speeds over 100 miles per hour.
“We’ve got some more difficult days ahead today…we will absolutely get through it,” said DeSantis.
The Coast Guard says they have ships and helicopters staged to begin search and rescue operations and survey the damage as soon as the hurricane threat passes.
