We use cookies on this website. By continuing to use this site without changing your cookie settings, you agree that you are happy to accept our privacy policy and for us to access our cookies on your device.
Transcript/ScriptWashington Week Ahead (TV)
HEADLINE: Bidens to Visit Storm Damage in Wake of Hurricane Ian
TEASER: President and first lady to visit Puerto Rico and Florida
PUBLISHED: 10/02/22 at: 1:20p
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MPage, sv
VIDEO SOURCE (S):
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT:
NOTE: PART NO ARCHIVE
VID APPROVED BY: MP
TYPE: TVPKG
TRT: 2:12
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO))
[[Hurricane Ian tore through southern areas of the United States last week. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to the devastated areas as the country reels from the rising death toll, dangerous flooding, and destruction left in the storm’s wake. The White House announced late Saturday that the Bidens will visit Puerto Rico on Monday and Florida on Wednesday. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.]]
((mandatory cg KENEDI TAYLOR))
((NARRATOR))
Last Wednesday in Florida, Hurricane Ian made landfall as one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the U.S. Roughly two-and-a-half million people were under evacuation orders.
((mandatory cg PATRICIA MURPHY))
((NARRATOR))
As a category four storm, Ian spun sustained winds north of 240 kilometers per hour.
((mandatory cg FIRST COAST NEWS))
((NARRATOR))
Flooding followed and more than two-million Florida homes and businesses lost power.
((mandatory cg WFSU))
((NARRATOR))
Florida’s Republican Governor Ron Desantis said the storm surge at some areas likely rose above three-and-a-half meters.
((NARRATOR))
The next morning, President Joe Biden addressed the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA.
[RADIO TRACK: Biden speaking on US network pool as provided by The Associated Press.]
((BIDEN))
“This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history. The numbers are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.”
((mandatory cg WZVN-TV))
((NARRATOR))
Federal and local rescue efforts continue, but the Biden administration says it is simply too soon to count the dead for what was an unpredictable storm path until just hours before landfall.
[RADIO TRACK: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week”]
((mandatory cg ABC “THIS WEEK”))
((Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator))
“This is going to be a long road to recovery, and there are a lot of people that are impacted. But we also know that we’re still actively in the search-and-rescue phase trying to make sure that we are accounting for everybody that was in the storm’s path and that we go through every home to make sure that we don’t leave anybody behind.”
((mandatory cg ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE))
((NARRATOR))
Florida’s Republican legislators, often at public odds with the Biden administration, praise the robust search and rescue operations from federal to local.
[RADIO TRACK: Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week”]
((mandatory cg ABC “THIS WEEK”))
((Sen. Marco Rubio, Republican))
“The federal response from day one has been very positive as it’s always been in the past. And we’re grateful for that. FEMA – the primary responder is in the states; the states step up – and then the states tell FEMA, ‘We need this’ or, ‘We need that.’ And that’s the process we’re working through right now. But it’s an extraordinary mobilization of the Army Corps ((of Engineers)), the Coast Guard. I mean, virtually every federal asset that’s available, not just through FEMA, but through other agencies.”
((NARRATOR))
Lawmakers describe many of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian as total losses beyond salvage.
((NARRATOR))
Ian follows Hurricane Fiona, which recently battered the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. President Biden and the first lady will visit both areas this week.
Arash Arabasadi, VOA News.
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D. C.
Embargo DateOctober 2, 2022 13:54 EDT
BylineArash Arabasadi VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
