Biden will visit Surfside on Thursday
President Joe Biden will visit Surfside on Thursday to thank first responders and meet families of the victims one week after the collapse of a residential building.
First lady Jill Biden will travel with him.
“They want to thank the heroic first responders, search and rescue teams, and everyone who’s been working tirelessly around the clock, and meet with the families who have been forced to endure this terrible tragedy, waiting in anguish and heartbreak for word of their loved ones, to offer them comfort as search and rescue efforts continue,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.
Psaki added the president wants to make sure state and local authorities have access to all necessary resources but didn’t say if he will meet with any officials during his trip.
Biden’s visit is also being organized so it doesn’t have any “negative operational impact” on search-and-rescue efforts, she said.
Biden has received regular updates on the disaster and during the weekend sent FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to tour the rubble of the Champlain Towers South with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“She reiterated that words can’t describe the scene on the ground,” Biden said in a statement after being briefed by Criswell on Sunday.
In a phone call with DeSantis, Biden pledged federal assistance.
More than 50 federal personnel are an the site to assist in the investigation and rescue efforts, including building-science experts, structural engineers, geotechnical experts and members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Authorities have not yet determined why the building collapsed.