President Trump said Hurricane Michael packed “tremendous power” on its destructive path through Florida and Georgia, but fortunately is moving quickly so emergency crews can begin their work.
“We have not seen destruction like that in a long time,” Mr. Trump said at the White House. “It was incredibly powerful. Some of those winds reached almost 200 miles per hour, which is unheard of.”
The Category 4 hurricane hit the Florida panhandle before quickly moving through central Georgia and into the Carolinas. Mr. Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state authorities and electric company crews have already moved in to repair damage and help those left homeless.
“It was the fastest hurricane anyone’s seen. It didn’t linger,” Mr. Trump said. “FEMA has gotten rave reviews. Food is being now brought in. The electric companies have been terrific. The roads are being cleaned right now. A lot of electricity is already back on, that’s in Florida. We’ve had great reports in everything.”
The president also rejected criticism that he held a political fundraiser and campaign rally in Pennsylvania Wednesday night while the storm was wreaking destruction in the southeast U.S.
“I couldn’t tell people that had been standing in line for a day and a half that I’m not going there,” he said. “I wasn’t going to disappoint thousands and thousands of people.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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