Biden Travels To Louisiana To Survey Hurricane Ida Damage

President Biden is heading to Louisiana Friday to survey the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ida and speak about what his administration is doing to help residents recover.

Mr. Biden will receive a briefing from local officials on Ida's impact and deliver remarks in LaPlace, Louisiana, before taking an aerial tour of several of the hardest hit communities. Mr. Biden is expected to spend about six hours on the ground Friday.

The Category 4 hurricane tore through Louisiana and Mississippi earlier this week, and many residents are still without power. Even as Ida lost strength, it caused tornadoes in the mid-Atlantic, and created historic and deadly flooding in New York. 

The president approved disaster declarations in Louisiana and Mississippi earlier this week, providing assistance to residents for temporary housing and home repairs, among other things. 

As many are still without power and air conditioning, residents along the Gulf Coast have been experiencing sweltering heat.

"My message to everyone affected is: We're all in this together. The nation is here to help," the president said in remarks on Hurricane Ida's effects Thursday. "That's the message I've been making clear to the mayors, governors, energy and utility leaders in the region, who my administration has been working closely with over the past few days."