Biden reports estimates of $50 billion from Milton damage, vows to ask Congress for more money

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that experts were estimating damage from Hurricane Milton could cost up to $50 billion.

Biden vowed to ask Congress for funds, saying "We're going to need a lot of help."

Biden was speaking at a briefing on Milton's aftermath, which included U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and virtual participation by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

The White House said that Biden will travel to Florida on Sunday (October 13) to visit areas impacted by Milton.

Millions of Floridians began a long and difficult recovery on Friday after the state's second major hurricane in two weeks, restoring power, shoveling mud from flooded homes, and clearing mountains of debris left by Milton and Helene.

A drone view shows a car driving through a flooded street after Hurricane Milton made landfall in South Daytona, Florida, U.S., October 11, 2024.Reuters

While some coastal cities such as Tampa were spared the catastrophic surge of seawater that many forecasters had feared, Milton brought widespread flooding and touched off a spate of deadly tornadoes on Florida's east coast, killing at least 16 people and leaving millions without power.

Many areas had still been clearing debris and repairing damage from Hurricane Helene which slammed into the Gulf Coast late last month before battering much of the U.S. Southeast.

During a 72-hour period this week, the Florida Department of Transportation removed 2,200 truckloads of debris - more than 40,000 cubic yards - from Pinellas County barrier islands near the mouth of Tampa Bay, Governor Ron DeSantis told a briefing. A cubic yard is about twice the size of a washing machine.