President Donald Trump visited areas affected by Hurricane Laura in Louisiana and Texas on Saturday and received briefings on emergency operations and relief efforts.
“I know about this state, it rapidly rebuilds,” Trump told a gathering with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, US lawmakers and federal agency officials. Trump did not meet residents.
A massive storm hit Louisiana in Louisiana and Texas on Thursday with winds gusting at 150 mph (240 kilometers per hour), damaging buildings, knocking down trees and cutting power to more than 650,000 people. However, Laura’s storm surge was much lower than predicted.
The Category 4 hurricane killed at least 15 people, some of whom died of carbon monoxide poisoning, some from unsafe operation of the generator. Governor Edwards called Laura the most powerful hurricane to attack Louisiana, even surpassing Katrina, which was a Category 3 hurricane when it hit 2005.
Trump told the officers, referring to those who were lost, “It’s a tremendous number, but you were thinking that it could happen, could be very bad.”
Trump on Friday signed a disaster declaration for Louisiana.
He helped with relief efforts with National Guard personnel in Louisiana and later flew with officers to Orange, Texas.
After meeting officials in Lake Charles, Trump said “Come here phallus, I need a little power,” and begin autographing pieces of paper. He gave one to a law officer and said “Sell here on eBay tonight, you will get $ 10,000.”❐
