President Biden Visits Bay Area to Assess Damage from Recent Storms

President Joe Biden will visit Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties Thursday, January 19, to see first-hand the damage from a series of atmospheric river storms in the past three weeks.

During the trip, the president plans to meet with business owners and residents affected by recent storms, as well as first responders, state and local officials, according to the White House. Arriving shortly after noon at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County, Biden will survey damage and head to Santa Cruz County, according to the White House press office. There, the presidential visit will include stops at the Capitola Pier and Seacliff State Beach in Aptos.

Biden will be traveling with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell to assess what federal assistance might be needed to address the damage. The president is scheduled to wind up the trip with a press conference later in the afternoon, and is expected to reaffirm his commitment to supporting the region as it recovers from the recent storms.

The president issued a major disaster declaration on Saturday that covered Santa Cruz County but has so far not extended to Santa Clara County, which issued an emergency declaration on Jan. 8 related to the storms. Santa Cruz County has estimated its storm damage at $55 million to public infrastructure with likely more than 1,000 homes affected. Santa Clara County has estimated damage so far at $27 million. Gov. Gavin Newsom is among the elected officials expected to meet with the president in the affected areas.

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