Watch again: Biden visits Florida to view hurricane damage

Joe Biden visited Florida, where Hurricane Idalia has left behind a trail of destruction. Evacuated residents are returning only to find their homes gone, and thousands more are still without power. While the president visited with victims of the storm, he did not meet with the state’s Governor Ron DeSantis. The governor’s office justified the skip, saying the security preparations would be too involved to impose on a rural community recovering from a hurricane. Idalia ploughed into Florida as a Category 3 Hurricane on Wednesday morning before losing power as it moved inland through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. As of 4am ET on Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center reported that Idalia had the strength of a post-tropical cyclone and was heading for Bermuda where it will bring heavy rain and powerful winds over the weekend. In Florida, 97,000 homes were still without power as of 4.45am ET on Friday morning. Governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday that restoring power and clearing debris would be a key priority throughout Friday. There are also concerns over flesh-eating bacteria, carbon monoxide, and other health risks in the state, local officials said. Watch more videos at the Independent TV: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/editors-picks Click here to subscribe to The Independent: https://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-Independent Watch more on Independent TV: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/editors-picks About The Independent: Making Change Happen. The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking newsbrand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. Connect with The Independent: Check out our full video catalog: https://www.youtube.com/c/theindependent/videos Videos, daily editorial and more: http://www.theindy.com Click here to get the best of The Independent daily: https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Like The Independent on Facebook: https://www.fb.com/TheIndependentOnline Follow The Independent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Independent Follow The Independent on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.independent Download the iOS & Android app: https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app Help to support truly independent journalism. Every dollar you contribute will directly fund additional special reports and investigations from a free-thinking, award-winning newsroom you can trust - https://www.independent.co.uk/donations Subscribe to Independent Premium for exclusive content & live events: https://bit.ly/2MiOONB