- The Washington Times - Monday, October 15, 2018

President Trump arrived Monday in Florida to survey recovery effort in communities devastated by Hurricane Michael, commending Florida Gov. Rick Scott for the state’s response.

“The job they have done in Florida has been incredible and likewise in Georgia. I’m hearing very good things,” Mr. Trump said when arriving at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

He was greeted on the tarmac by Mr. Scott, a Republican who is running for Senate.

“Your governor, Rick Scott, has done an incredible job and all of your people working with FEMA, working with first responders and always working with law enforcement,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump was accompanied by first lady Melania Trump. They left the Air Force base by helicopter and headed to ground zero for the storm, about 120 miles away in Mexico Beach, Florida.

They are expected to also tour hard-hit areas in Georgia later in the day.

Hurricane Michael ripped into the Florida Panhandle Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph.

The storm cut a path of destruction from Florida to Virginia after leveling most of the resort town of Mexico Beach where it made landfall.

At least 17 deaths have been blamed on the hurricane. More than 30 people are still missing in Mexico Beach.

Mr. Scott praised the support from the president, who has been criticized for the administration’s response to past hurricanes, especially Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

“Every time I’ve called, he came through with exactly what he said he would do,” Mr. Scott said of the president.

The governor said they spoke to each other almost every day.

“Everything I’ve asked for from FEMA, they’ve done. We’ve got the water out. We got the food out,” Mr. Scott said. “We all together got search-and-rescue teams the night of the hurricane going into these communities to save lives.”

• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.

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