Biden to visit Florida and Puerto Rico as death toll rises

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will visit Puerto Rico and Florida this week as the country reels from deaths, damage and destruction caused by Hurricane Ian.

The death toll from the hurricane stood at 87 on Sunday—83 casualties in Florida where Ian hit as a Category 4 storm and four in North Carolina.

The number is expected to rise further in the coming days as floodwaters recede. The recovery in Florida and the Carolinas is expected to cost billions of dollars with some experts predicting the economic recovery to be extremely slow.

The Bidens will see the devastation in Puerto Rico on Monday and in Florida on Wednesday firsthand, according to the White House announcement.

Starlink, T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T are working on restoring connectivity in the affected areas.