US President Joe Biden warned Sunday that Tropical Storm Henri storm has "the potential for widespread consequences across the region with significant flooding." "While New Englanders are used to dealing with some tough weather, this storm has the potential for widespread consequences across the region with significant flooding, power outages, that could affect hundreds of thousands of people," Biden said in remarks at the White House. He added "We're doing everything we can now to help those states prepare, respond and recover." "Fortunately it's no longer a hurricane, it's been downgraded to a tropical storm. And we are taking it seriously, though, because the size and the storm's surge and the rainfall it's producing," he stressed. He noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) "has already prepositioned resources in the region to speed our ability to respond, including food, water and life-saving communications equipment, as well as generators." "In close cooperation with the electrical sector, preparations are in place to address significant power outages and resources and support that's staged at the edge of this storm to be able to move quickly in to help," he continued. Biden called on people to "follow the guidance from the local authorities. Some places have already had heavy rains and winds and dangerous storm surges. Henri is going to continue to move across much of the northeast. So it's important to monitor it closely and be prepared in your home and your community." "Don't forget that you may need to seek shelter while battling the Delta variant and Covid-19. So wear a mask, and try to observe social distancing," he said. Meanwhile, the White House said in two separate statements that Biden declared that an emergency exists in the State of Connecticut and in the State of New York ordering federal assistance ... and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Henri. Tropical Storm Henri has made landfall along the coast of Rhode Island earlier Sunday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Biden said the federal government is prepared to assist those state's impacted by the storm and the heavy rainfall. Biden said that he spoke with governors of the states that could be affected and "urged them to take advantage of the assistance FEMA can offer in advance and committed to do everything we can to support their communities through the storm and afterwards. Biden encouraged residents in the Northeast to "do their part to prepare." "Follow the guidance from the local authorities. Some places have already had heavy rains and winds and dangerous storm surges. Henri is going to continue to move across much of the northeast. "So it's important to monitor it closely and be prepared in your home and your community. Make sure you have the supplies for your entire household...," he said. Parts of the Northeast began to feel Hurricane Henri's first impacts Saturday evening as the storm barreled toward the coast ahead of an anticipated Sunday landfall, threatening to bring damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and flooding to an already saturated area. More than 35 million people are under a flood watch across the Northeast, with the hurricane center warning the heavy rain could cause "considerable flash, urban and small stream flooding" and create the potential for "widespread minor and isolated moderate river flooding." Significant damage is possible in this already-soaked region even if Henri is not a hurricane at landfall, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said. "We're going to see power outages, we're going to see downed trees, and even after the storm has passed, the threat of falling trees and limbs is still out there," Criswell told CNN Saturday morning. In Connecticut, mandatory evacuations were ordered for the coastal towns of Guilford and Branford, according to a tweet from state Rep. Sean Scanlon. — Agencies
