Biden to visit Hurricane Ida devastation in Louisiana on Friday

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Hurricane Ida leaves parts of Louisiana feeling like a ‘third world country’

Fox News’ Jeff Paul reports from Chauvin, La., with the latest on the storm damage and recovery.

President Biden on Friday will tour the devastation left by Hurricane Ida when it slammed into Louisiana last weekend as a Category 4 storm. He also plans to deliver a speech Thursday outlining the administration’s response plan. 

Biden will speak with local and state leaders while in Louisiana.

Ida was the fifth most powerful storm to strike the U.S. with maximum winds of 150 mph, likely causing tens of billions of dollars in flood, wind and other damage, including to the electrical grid.

While White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president would stay away if his presence would hamper recovery efforts, Louisiana Gov. Jon Bel Edwards, a Democrat, said a visit would be crucial for Biden's understanding of the situation. 

LAFOURCHE PARISH REELING FROM HURRICANE IDA BUT RESILIENT: ‘IT’S BEEN A STRUGGLE BUT WE'RE DOING OK' 

"There’s nothing quite like visiting in person," Edwards told reporters Wednesday. "When you see it for yourself, it is just so much more compelling."

Floodwaters still surround homes as residents try to recover from the effects of Hurricane Ida Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Myrtle Grove, Louisiana. (Associated Press)

The governor added that his list of requests from the president would be "very, very long" and would prioritize assistance to help people rebuild their homes. 

At least six deaths have been attributed to the hurricane, according to local authorities. 

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, in a statement thanked Biden for coming to the state to "help him understand the magnitude of the situation here in southeast Louisiana."

"We know from bitter experience with Hurricane Laura that aid can be delayed too long," Cassidy said, according to WDSU-TV New Orleans reported. 

Biden’s visit comes as he is under heightened scrutiny over his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. 

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Biden was at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Sunday, witnessing the arrival of the 13 fallen U.S. service members who lost their lives last week when an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist group bombed the Kabul airport during the frantic evacuations from the country. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.