Biden to visit the devastation of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana on Friday

President Biden Friday will tour the devastation left by Hurricane Ida when he hit Louisiana last weekend as a Category 4 storm. He also plans to deliver a speech on Thursday outlining the administration’s response plan.

Biden will meet with local and state leaders while in Louisiana.

Ida was the fifth strongest storm to hit the United States with maximum winds of 150 mph, possibly causing tens of billions of dollars in flooding, wind and other damage, including to the power grid.

While White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president would stay on the sidelines if his presence hampered recovery efforts, Louisiana Gov. Jon Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said a visit would be crucial for Biden to understand the situation.

THE PARISH OF THE FORK RAISED FROM HURRICANE IDA BUT RESILIENT: “IT HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE BUT WE ARE OK”

“There is nothing like a visit in person,” Edwards told reporters Wednesday. “When you see it for yourself, it’s so much more convincing.”

The governor added that his list of the president’s demands would be “very, very long” and would prioritize aid to help people rebuild their homes.

At least six deaths have been attributed to the hurricane, according to local authorities.

US Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, thanked Biden in a statement for coming to the state to “help him understand the scale of the situation here in southeast Louisiana.”

“We know from bitter experience with Hurricane Laura that aid can be delayed too long,” Cassidy said, according to WDSU-TV New Orleans reported.

Biden’s visit comes as he comes under scrutiny over his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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Biden was at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday, witnessing the arrival of the 13 US servicemen who died last week when an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist group bombed Kabul airport during frenzied evacuations from the country .

The Associated Press contributed to this report.