Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — President Obama warned Friday morning that the devastation from Hurricane Matthew is far from over, and the potential for storm surges, flooding and property damage “continues to exist.”
“I just want to emphasize to everybody that this is still a really dangerous hurricane,” Obama said during a statement from the Oval Office after meeting with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Craig Fugate, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Deputy Homeland Security adviser Amy Pope.
Before Matthew struck the Atlantic Coast, the president issued federal emergency declarations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts. The White House said FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.
The president also spoke with the governors of the four states likely to be impacted by Matthew.
So far, the devastation has not changed the president’s plans to travel to Chicago this weekend for fundraisers.
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