Biden Calls Florida Mayors Ahead of Hurricane Ian

By Lydia Nusbaum

Published Sep. 27, 2022, 3:39 p.m. ET | Updated Sep. 27, 2022

President Joe Biden and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell call Florida mayors in preparation for Hurricane Ian.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – President Joe Biden individually called the mayors of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater ahead of Hurricane Ian.

The White House said the president spoke about the efforts federal, state, and local governments are taking to position resources and continue evacuation operations. President Biden approved a Federal Emergency Declaration over the weekend.

Thank you @POTUS for your call today assuring us that the administration is monitoring #HurricaneIan around the clock and stressing the importance of the infrastructure improvements to our critical systems. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/cyoW8Xse6k
— Ken Welch (@MayorKenWelch) September 27, 2022

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswall will be in charge of making sure federal support is ready to respond after the storm.

On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he had not spoken with President Biden, but said he spoke with Administrator Criswall.

“They approved our pre-landfall declaration, which we’re thankful for,” he said.

FEMA is expected to write checks on the back-end of the storm to help with recovery efforts. The state would also work in conjunction with FEMA to set up support centers where people need individual assistance.

“Florida DEM is going to work with FEMA to make sure that folks get the relief that they need,” DeSantis said.