The storm is responsible for at least 25 deaths, and millions of Florida residents are without power
President Trump will travel to Florida on Thursday to observe the response to the damage wrought by Hurricane Irma.
Over the weekend, at Camp David, Mr. Trump met with his cabinet discussing how to manage fallout from Irma and Hurricane Harvey, another deadly storm. Mr. Trump’s visit to Florida comes a mere two weeks after his last visit to Texas, where he met with victims from Harvey.
Irma has devastated Florida, causing at least 25 deaths as of Wednesday morning, and leaving millions without power. Among those dead were six elderly people in a nursing home that lost power. The storm struck the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimated 25 percent of homes in the Keys are destroyed.
Mr. Trump earlier this week said the country is a “bit lucky” Irma veered from is original course, which would have pummeled Miami and Florida’s populous southeastern coast. The president said Irma’s devastation makes tax cuts more crucial now than ever, as his administration turns to overhauling the country’s tax code.
Naples Mayor Bill Barnett said his city “took a real hard hit, ” but was spared from the worst-case scenario.
The White House hasn’t yet released schedule for Mr. Trump’s Florida visit, and it’s unclear who will accompany him on the trip. When Mr. Trump visited Houston, he didn’t specifically survey damage but did meet with victims in a storm shelter and volunteers.
