Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – As Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida President Joe Biden says the federal government is making necessary emergency preparations.

President Biden held an emergency briefing and cancelled an overseas trip. He says Hurricane Milton could be the worst hurricane to hit Florida in a century.

“People are scared to death. People know their lives are at stake,” said Biden.

President Biden is urging Floridians under evacuation orders to get out now to avoid the likely devastating impact of Hurricane Milton.

“It’s a matter of life or death,” he added.

At a briefing, the president said he already approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration to surge aid to Florida.

He remains in close contact with Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.

“I’ve spoken to all the political leaders in the region some of them more than once. I’ve told them anything they ask for, they can get,” Biden said.

In Florida, DeSantis told reporters the state has 34 search and rescue aircraft ready to go and says 8,000 National Guard soldiers will be on the ground before the hurricane hits.

“We’ve never had this many resources prior to a storm,” DeSantis said.

Milton is expected to hit Florida’s west coast as a major category three hurricane with wind of 125-miles per hour.

The area is still scattered with debris after Hurricane Helene struck less than two weeks ago.

“And so, so this is something that’s really, really significant” DeSantis said.

Monday former president Donald Trump offered prayers for Florida and took a swipe at the Biden administration’s response to Helene.

“No one’s ever seen such a weak response” Trump said.

Republican governors in Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida have each pushed back against suggestions the federal government is not doing enough in the aftermath of Helene and have thanked the federal government for its swift response to Hurricane Helene

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