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Biden traveling to New Orleans on Friday to survey Ida damage, meet with officials

Joe Biden
Posted at 11:55 AM, Sep 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-01 14:55:23-04

NEW ORLEANS, La. — President Joe Biden is set to travel to New Orleans on Friday to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Ida.

During the trip, the White House says Biden will also meet will state and local leaders from Louisiana communities that have been impacted by the Category 4 storm.

With 150 mph winds upon landfall on Sunday, Ida was one of the strongest storms to ever hit the U.S. It also struck the state on the 16-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting The Big Easy in 2005.

Though power was restored to some in New Orleans on Wednesday, many are still without electricity and that may not change for weeks.

Officials are still surveying the destruction from Ida, but the storm has likely caused billions of dollars in flood, wind, and other damage.

Biden’s visit to Louisiana will cap off a difficult last few weeks for the president who has been handling simultaneous crises, including the evacuation of Afghanistan and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.