President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will be arriving in Houston Friday to look at the devastation left behind after the historic Texas Winter Storm.
“The President will meet with local leaders to discuss the winter storm, relief efforts, progress toward recovery and the incredible resilience shown by the people of Houston and Texas,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
The president signed a major disaster declaration for dozens of Texas counties, ordering federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the winter weather.
Biden will also visit a COVID-19 vaccination site and review practices after six million vaccinations were delayed due to the massive power outage caused by the storm.
Biden’s Homeland Security advisor, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, said that FEMA had already provided 60 generators and fuel to support critical testing sites, as well as local hospitals.
The Texas snowstorm is the harshest winter storm to hit the city in over 50 years, which was made worse by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and their lack of a sufficient power grid, leading to power outages across the state.
An investigation into ERCOT and its corporation is underway.