President Biden pledges more money to help California communities rebuild after deadly storms

After a collection of storms battered California over the previous few weeks and left behind such destruction, President Joe Biden traveled to the state to see it himself.

The collection of storms left at the least 21 folks useless statewide — a lot of them have been swept away by flash flooding. The injury is anticipated to surpass a billion {dollars}.

A few of the hardest-hit areas within the state embody Sacramento, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz counties. In Sacramento, the injury is anticipated to price at the least $123 million alone. Santa Barbara is anticipated to price $147 million and Santa Cruz $55 million.

These numbers introduced a federal dedication from the commander-in-chief to assist California storm victims recuperate and rebuild.

President Biden mentioned that plan has already been put into motion with 500 FEMA brokers on the bottom in hard-hit areas and 7 catastrophe assist facilities arrange throughout the state.

“To the folks in California, the nation is right here for you and with you,” Biden mentioned in Capitola Thursday. “We aren’t leaving till issues are constructed again and constructed again higher than they have been earlier than.”

It was a presidential pledge that more cash and assist have been on the best way for storm-battered communities throughout California.

“Yesterday, I directed the federal authorities that we’ll cowl 100% of the price of eradicating particles and emergency measures like sheltering evacuees and paid additional time for first responders for the subsequent 60 days,” Biden mentioned.

Air Drive One touched down in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties the place the President obtained to see the injury attributable to historic storms firsthand.

“It is not as apparent from the air simply how a lot injury has been finished,” he mentioned. “You do not really feel it till you stroll the streets.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom was on the President’s facet all through the tour, assembly with enterprise homeowners and first responders and reaffirming federal assist for the state’s restoration.

“We’re speaking about being right here when all of you’re gone. When the cameras are gone and all the eye spotlights taken off, that is when California’s at its finest and we do our greatest work. However we couldn’t try this with out federal assist,” Newsom mentioned.

President Biden mentioned the complete scale of the injury doubtless will not be identified for just a few extra weeks when the waters recede.

“We all know a number of the destruction goes to take years to totally recuperate and rebuild, however we have to not simply rebuild, we have to rebuild higher,” he mentioned.