Biden says he doesn't think 'anybody can deny the impact of a climate crisis' as he defends his Maui...
President said Wednesday that it is impossible to deny the impact of after smashed into and forced millions of residents to flee their homes. Idalia's torrential rain and threats of flash flooding moved through Georgia during the afternoon as emergency services in Florida battled the impact of a powerful storm surge. Coming so soon after , Biden said it was a reminder of an unfolding global disaster. 'I don't think anybody can deny the impact of a climate crisis anymore,' he said at the White House. 'Just look around: Historic floods, I mean, historic floods; more intense droughts; extreme heat; wildfires have caused significant damage, like we've never seen before, not only throughout the Hawaiian Islands in the United States but in Canada and other parts of the world. 'We've never seen this much fire.' He spoke soon after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida as a category three storm with sustained winds of more than 125 mph. It submerged homes and downed powerlines before swinging into Georgia, where its winds dropped to about 75 mph. Biden endured intense criticism for pressing on with a beach break and a vacation while the death toll in Maui rose above 100 earlier this month. After outlining the federal response to the hurricane, Biden was asked whether the emergency might force him to rethink his Labor Day weekend or plans to travel to India for a summit next week. 'Well, I may,' he answered. 'I just don't know yet.' He also said he was sending $95 million to Maui to help with recovery efforts. Biden's comments about a climate crisis contrast with those of Republicans running for their party's 2024 nomination. During a debate last week they were asked to raise their hands if they believed human behavior was responsible for climate change. Only one, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, started to raise his arm before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis derided the idea of a show of hands and pivoted to hit Biden's response in Maui. 'The climate change agenda is a hoax,' said biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, giving the night's clearest answer. However, there is a clear scientific consensus that a changing climate is responsible for more frequent extreme weather events. In Florida, the worst storm surges were expected to hit 16 ft. In Tallahassee, the state capital, the power went down before the center of the storm arrived. The city managed to avoid a direct hit but it still made its effects felt near the . 'If they do cut down the whole tree, that is more room for my kids to hit baseballs,' DeSantis said. At least so far. Airports in the region, including Tampa International Airport, planned to restart commercial operations either later Wednesday or Thursday. Earlier in the day, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell said she will travel to Florida on Thursday. She foreshadowed Biden's comments about a climate crisis, saying responders would have to factor in the increasing frequency of extreme events. 'We are seeing an increase in the number of severe weather events,' she told reporters at the White House. 'And what we saw with this storm, as we have seen with several of our hurricanes over the last few years, is that they are intensifying more rapidly due to the elevated heat of the water temperature in the Gulf or in the Pacific or ... Atlantic. 'These storms are intensifying so fast that our local emergency management officials have less time to warn and evacuate and get people to safety.'