Biden Praises DeSantis on Hurricane Ian, Says the Storm 'Finally Ended' the Climate Debate (October 5, 2022)

One week after Hurricane Ian tore through southwest Florida, President Joe Biden stood in the wreckage of Fisherman’s Wharf in Fort Myers with Gov. Ron DeSantis and made a sweeping claim. “And I think the one thing this has finally ended is the discussion about whether or not there’s climate change and we should do something about it,” he said [1].

Minutes later, a reporter asked how the Republican governor had handled the disaster. “I think he’s done a good job,” Biden said [1].

The video above shows Biden’s Oct. 5, 2022, remarks at Fisherman’s Wharf in Fort Myers. Quotes are from the official transcript and the White House pool reports, published by the American Presidency Project [1][2].

DeSantis Greets the Bidens

DeSantis and his wife, Casey DeSantis, greeted the president and first lady Jill Biden when they stepped out of their SUV at Fisherman’s Wharf, the pool reported [2]. The governor then opened the briefing for state, local and federal officials. “Thanks to President Biden” and the administration for their support, DeSantis began, according to the pool [2].

Florida’s two Republican senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds also joined the briefing, the pool reported [2]. Biden named all four in his remarks: “And we’re here today with Governor DeSantis and Senator Rubio and Senator Scott and Congressman Donalds” [1].

”Finally Ended”

Biden opened by describing the damage he saw from a helicopter over Sanibel Island. “I’m sure it’s much worse on the ground, but you can see a whole hell of a lot of the damage from the air,” he said [1].

Then he pivoted to climate. He talked about wildfires in the West and drought on the Colorado River. “We’re in a situation where the Colorado River looks more like a stream. And there’s a lot going on,” he said. That was when he declared the climate debate over [1].

He returned to the theme when a reporter asked what officials should do differently to save lives. “What the Governor has done is pretty remarkable, so far,” Biden said. Then he credited DeSantis and others with a view on climate: “The biggest thing the Governor has done and so many others have done—they’ve recognized there’s a thing called global warming” [1].

”Hand-in-Glove”

A reporter then asked directly: “How has Governor DeSantis handled this recovery effort?” [1]

“I think he’s done a good job,” Biden answered. “Look, I called him, I think, even before he called me, when I heard this storm was on its way. We’ve worked hand-in-glove. We have very different political philosophies” [1].

When it came to “things relating to dealing with this crisis, we’ve been completely in lockstep. There’s been no differences,” Biden added [1].

”Not $39,700; $37,900”

Biden laid out the federal help. “Meanwhile, in the counties hardest hit, the Federal Government, at the request of the Governor at the very beginning, said we’ll cover 100 percent of the cleanup costs—the debris costs,” he said, at first for 30 days, and “I just extended it for another 30 days” [1].

He tripped over the aid figures. Uninsured families, he said, “may be entitled up to $37,900 in Federal funds. If you need to make repairs to your home, you may be eligible for another thirty-nine—excuse me—$37,900. Not $39,700; $37,900” [1].

He also admitted the FEMA hotline was jammed. “And I’m told you’re waiting for hours and hours to get through, and you’re not getting anybody answering the phone,” Biden said. “So you have to have a little patience for us to get it all done” [1].

”Ripped in Two”

Biden described the scale of the rescue. “The search-and-rescue teams have knocked on nearly 70,000 doors and rescued over 3,800 people,” he said, and “we have over 4,000 Federal personnel on the ground as I speak” [1].

He singled out the bridge to Sanibel Island. “The Sanibel Causeway is ripped in two, standing hundreds—stranding hundreds of people on the other side—many who of them don’t want to leave, but some who wanted to leave,” Biden said [1].

Asked whether he was considering help for Florida homebuyers struggling with insurance, he made no commitment. “The answer is, that’s something that will be discussed,” Biden said, adding: “We’re going to have to have a hard look at whether or not the insurance industry can be sustained” [1].

By the Numbers

3,800-plus: people search-and-rescue teams had rescued, by Biden’s count [1].
At least 156: U.S. deaths tied to Ian, according to the National Hurricane Center; all 66 deaths the storm caused directly were in Florida [3].
36: storm surge deaths in Lee County, out of 41 surge deaths in all [3].
$112 billion-plus: Ian’s damage, the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third costliest in U.S. history [3].
10 to 15 feet: peak storm surge in Fort Myers Beach [3].
15 days: how long the temporary Sanibel Causeway repairs took, DeSantis said [4].

What Happened Next

DeSantis reopened the Sanibel Causeway. On Oct. 19, 2022, DeSantis announced that the causeway linking Sanibel Island to the mainland had reopened. The temporary repairs took 15 days and were done more than a week ahead of schedule, Fox News reported, with more than 100 crews working 36,000 hours [4].

“We cut through red tape, and we understood that time is of the essence,” DeSantis said. “Maybe we should just focus on getting things done and not be mired in bureaucracy all the time” [5].

The climate debate did not end. On Jan. 20, 2025, his first day back in office, President Donald Trump ordered the United States out of the Paris climate agreement. The order directed the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to “immediately submit formal written notification of the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement” [6].

For Biden’s remarks after Hurricane Idalia, when he blasted climate “deniers,” see HYGO News’ page on Hurricane Idalia.