President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will visit Florida and Georgia on Monday to survey damage from Hurricane Michael.
The couple is slated to tour the wreckage from the storm in the Florida Panhandle, the Associated Press reported Sunday. The White House has yet to provide additional trip details.
Vice President Mike Pence is also expected to visit south Georgia towns damaged by the storm on Tuesday, although his office has yet to confirm those plans. He scrapped a trip to Atlanta last week because of the hurricane.
Trump spoke with Gov. Nathan Deal on Saturday to discuss recovery efforts. The president "expressed his concerns and said the federal government is fully available and committed to helping state and local agencies," the White House said.
“People have no idea how hard Hurricane Michael has hit the great state of Georgia,” Trump tweeted Friday. “I will be visiting both Florida and Georgia early next week. We are working very hard on every area and every state that was hit - we are with you!”
People have no idea how hard Hurricane Michael has hit the great state of Georgia. I will be visiting both Florida and Georgia early next week. We are working very hard on every area and every state that was hit - we are with you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2018
Trump declared a state of emergency in Georgia on Wednesday, a designation that allows the state to tap into federal money, debris removal and other services to supplement local cleanup and rebuilding efforts.
The Category 4 storm made landfall in the Florida Panhandle Wednesday afternoon and pounded portions of southern and Middle Georgia with rain and wind. It was the first major hurricane to enter Georgia since 1898, according to WSB-TV meteorologist Brad Nitz.
Michael has killed at least 18 people, including 11-year-old Sarah Radney in Seminole County, and left at least 400,000 Georgians without power. It has also devastated crops in southern Georgia, including cotton and pecans. Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black estimated the damage could take a $1 billion toll on the state's economy.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Black took an aerial tour of the damage earlier Sunday.
The Associated Press and staff writer Greg Bluestein contributed to this article.
Cox Media Group
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