Hurricanes in Florida: President Joe Biden visits hurricane-ravaged state, announces $600 million in resilience projects

President Joe Biden on Sunday visited areas of Florida devastated by back-to-back hurricanes and announced federal funding for projects to strengthen the power grid and a “whole of government” effort to help the state recover.

We have been in frequent contact, and it is in times like these that we come together to care for each other – not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. Americans, who need help, and Americans who help you, if you were in the same situation,” Biden said in St. Petersburg. “We are one, United States.”

Biden also announced $612 million for six Department of Energy projects in the Southeast.

Two of the projects are focused on Florida and provide a combined total of $94 million in federal funds, according to the White House.

“This funding will not only restore power, but it will make the region’s energy system stronger and more capable and reduce the frequency and duration of power outages as extreme weather events become more frequent,” Biden said.

Gainesville Regional Utilities will use the funding to help mitigate the effects of increasingly extreme weather conditions in north-central Florida “through storm hardening as well as faster restoration through the deployment of weather devices and tools.” self-healing that will enable more efficient and accurate dispatch of field teams during outages,” the White House said in a statement.

Switched Source, a private utility technology developer, will work with Florida Power and Light to deploy Phase-EQ, which “optimizes power flow in distribution circuits, will unlock more than 200 MW of system capacity and improve reliability in circuits serving communities most susceptible to prolonged outages,” according to the White House.

“These investments are part of the President’s commitment to make long-term investments that protect, enhance, and enhance our nation’s electrical grid, especially in the face of extreme weather events,” the White House said in a statement.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm Wednesday night. At least 16 people died in the storm and more than a million remain without power.

RELATED: Hurricane Milton Aftermath: At Least 16 Deaths Reported, More Than 2.4 Million Without Power in Florida

On Sunday, Biden thanked local authorities for their response, noting that several homes had homes damaged or flooded by the storms, and acknowledged the first responders who flooded the region in the days following Milton.

“Look at the numbers that have shown up across the country – Canada, California, Nebraska, across the country – to come here to help. Men and women in uniform, like I said, health care workers, neighbors helping neighbors and so many more people,” he said Biden. “This is all a team effort, folks. It’s made a huge difference and saved lives. But there’s so much more to do.”