President Joe Biden departed Tallahassee International Airport Thursday morning as he prepared to travel to Perry, Florida in Taylor County to see firsthand the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene.
The White House announced Wednesday’s visit, along with a trip to Georgia, saying the president would “tour areas affected by Hurricane Helene and meet with affected communities.”
Florida continues to recover after the Category 4 hurricane, which left at least 19 dead, including at least 12 in Pinellas County – hundreds of miles away from where the storm made landfall. To be sure, Helene wreaked havoc across a wide area of ​​Florida’s Gulf Coast, from the state’s Big Bend down to the Tampa Bay area, and even Southwest Florida was hit by the storm.
Biden traveled to the Carolinas on Wednesday evening, flying to Greer, South Carolina, and then to Raleigh, North Carolina.
Here are running updates from the president’s visit to North Florida:
A brief history of Air Force One at TLH airport: The 1970 Nixon speech
Almost 54 years ago, President Richard Nixon arrived at the Tallahassee airport for a rally and speech before a crowd estimated at 20,000 people.
During October 28, 1970, the president’s visit, Nixon told the audience it was a “great privilege” to speak for the first time in Florida’s capital before delivering a speech about school integration.
“And as I stand here, I especially want to express my appreciation to all of you who came from miles around to this airport rally,” Nixon said. “I saw the cars parked when Air Force One first landed. I realize how far some of you have to walk. I know some of you have been standing here for over an hour. Thank you very much.”
Among those on hand was Gov. Claude Kirk and federal Judge Harold Carswell, who had been narrowed by Nixon to the Supreme Court but rejected the previous month by the Senate.
Nixon praised Carswell and also gave shout-outs to Leon and Godby High School marching band, which performed. About 350 Florida State University students protested, and 13 were arrested.
Ten years later, President George HW Bush arrived at Tallahassee airport on Air Force One in 1990.
Bush stopped in Tallahassee to throw his support behind the re-election of US Congressman Bill Grant.
While he was in town, Bush addressed a crowd at Tom Brown Park, rubbed elbows with Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden and visited with Florida governor Robert Martinez at the governor’s mansion.
Do you know the time Air Force One and the president were at TLH? Email us at news@tallahassee.com.
Details of the president’s trip
The president is expected to arrive at Tallahassee International Airport on Air Force One Thursday morning, according to a White House travel plan released Wednesday night.
“Afterward, the president will depart from Tallahassee, Florida and take an aerial tour of the affected areas en route to Perry, Florida,” according to the White House’s Wednesday evening schedule. In addition to visiting Perry, the president is scheduled to receive an operational briefing at Keaton Beach. He will then fly to Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, Georgia, to oversee the recovery in Ray City.
During his visit to Florida, Biden is expected to “tour areas impacted by Hurricane Helene and meet with affected communities,” according to the White House.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, who is locked in a tight re-election battle will join the president, according to Politico’s Gary Fineout.
It’s unclear if Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been critical of the federal response during a daylong visit to the hard-hit area, will be present for any part of the visit. Although it seems unlikely, because DeSantis has a scheduled press conference on Florida relief efforts with Lieutenant Governor Jeanette and Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie in Manatee County at the same time as the president’s arrival in Florida.
A request for comment was pending with his office.
Biden’s trip comes a day after he visited a North Carolina community devastated by the storm.
Keaton Beach: What Joe Biden will see when he arrives
When President Joe Biden travels to Keaton Beach today, he will find a community in ruins and residents working to pick up the pieces.
Keaton Beach is still trying to recover from Hurricane Idalia, which hit the Natural Coast a little over a year ago, when Helene came roaring through Thursday night. Residents have just completed the insurance process on their homes or they are still repairing things that were damaged during Idalia when they endured a direct attack from category 4 Hurricane Helene.
USA TODAY Network reporter Ana Goñi-Lessan and photojournalist Alicia Devine, who covered the president’s visit today, were the first two reporters inside Keaton Beach in the hours following the storm. They spoke to the residents and told their stories. This is what they heard and saw.
Read the full story here.
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