Thursday 29 September 2022 06:44 PM Biden says Hurricane Ian could be 'deadliest' in Florida history and warns ... trends now Biden snaps at reporter for asking 'totally irrelevant' question about his relationship with Ron DeSantis: Insists hurricane response is 'nothing to do' with politics - and warns Ian could be 'deadliest' in Florida's history President Biden visited Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters He warned Florida it could be facing the deadliest hurricane in its history By Rob Crilly, Senior U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 18:26 BST, 29 September 2022 | Updated: 18:42 BST, 29 September 2022 24 Viewcomments President Joe Biden warned Florida it could be facing the deadliest hurricane in its history on Thursday, as he praised emergency workers and warned gas companies not to use the devastation to raise prices. Hurricane Ian made landfall a day earlier, flooding both of Florida's coasts, knocking out power supplies and killing at least one person. Biden said that could be just the start. 'This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history,' he said during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. 'The numbers of still are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.' He added that he planned to visit Puerto Rico, which was devastated by Hurricane Fiona earlier in the month. President Joe Biden warned Florida it could be facing the deadliest hurricane in its history on Thursday, as he praised emergency workers during a visit to Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. Damaged homes are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Meyers Beach, Florida Hurricane Ian hit Florida as Category 4 hurricane, leaving much of coastal southwest Florida in darkness and triggering 'catastrophic flooding' President Joe Biden approved a 'major disaster declaration' in Florida on Thursday morning to free up federal funding to assist with damage incurred by Hurricane Ian. He posted an image to Twitter of him speaking with Governor Ron DeSantis The emergency has been seen as a test of Biden's relationship with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has positioned himself as a populist Republican with designs on the White House. Biden snapped at a reporter who asked how their Thursday morning phone call went, saying the question was 'totally irrelevant.' 'But I'll answer it,' he said. Okay. Fine, very fine. 'He complimented me. 'He thanked me for the immediate response we had. 'He told me how much he appreciated it. Said he was extremely happy with what's going on. 'This is not about whether anything having to do with our disagreements politically, this is about saving people's lives, homes and businesses.' Earlier Biden declared the emergency to be a 'major disaster,' freeing up billions of dollars in assistance. 'That means the federal government will cover 100 percent of the cost to clear debris and for all the cost the state has to engage in and expend to save lives,' said Biden during his visit. 'The federal government will also cover the majority of the cost of rebuilding public buildings like schools and state fire stations. 'And folks in Florida who have destroyed or damaged homes, [if] you don't have enough insurance, it means the federal government will provide individual assistance of $37,900 for home repairs another $37,900 for lost property.' The cost of repairing and reconstructing homes from the storm damage could cost up to $260 billion, according to property experts CoreLogic. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility