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President Joe Biden is traveling to Louisiana Friday (September 3) to survey the damage left behind after Hurricane Ida tore a path through the state on Sunday (August 29).
After arriving at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, President Biden will meet with Louisiana officials and communities impacted by the powerful storms. Per WDSU, Biden has been in contact with state officials since the storm and has directed that federal resources be made available to the Gulf Coast to aid in recovery.
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy released a statement ahead of Biden's visit thanking him for his visit to understand the magnitude of the destruction in Southeast Louisiana, per WWL-TV.
"We know from bitter experience with Hurricane Laura that aid can be delayed too long," he said. "We thank the federal partners who are already here helping with the recovery, and we will ask the president once again that supplemental aid be delivered to southwest Louisiana and expedited for southeast Louisiana."
On Thursday (September 2), the President authorized federal agencies like the FAA to use drone and satellite imagery to assist Entergy as it works to assess the damage and restore power to New Orleans, which went completely dark after Ida made landfall as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on Sunday.
"We're all in this together. The nation is here to help," said Biden. "I've directed the ... FAA to use surveillance drones to assess Ida's damage to energy infrastructure."