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21:34 GMT
WASHINGTON, Sept 30 (KUNA) -- US President Joe Biden said Friday that the devastation caused in Florida by Hurricane Ian "is likely to rank among the worst آ… in the nation's history."
In remarks at the White House, Biden said "the situation in Florida is far more devastating. We're just beginning to see the scale of that destruction."
He added that he has "directed that every possible action be taken to save lives and get help to survivors, because every single minute counts."
"It's not just a crisis for Florida. This is an American crisis," he remarked. "It's going to take months, years to rebuild."
He continued that at his direction, the largest team of search and rescue experts in recent history" were pre-deployed, and the US Coast Guard has been deployed as well.
Furthermore, Biden said that his message to the people of South Carolina, where Hurricane Ian made landfall earlier today as a Category One hurricane, "is simple. Please listen to all the warnings and directions from local officials and follow their instructions." (pickup previous)
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