President Joe Biden arrived in California’s Central Coast on Thursday to satisfy with a number of the communities hammered by weeks of torrential rainfall, a number of the most intense within the state’s historical past.

Biden stated that the disaster is a transparent show of local weather change in motion and reveals how extreme climate can get in a warmer ambiance.

“If anyone doubts the local weather is altering, they will need to have been asleep for the final couple of years,” the president stated Thursday from Aptos’ Seacliff State Beach, the place current storms have plummeted half of a pier into the ocean, destroyed the seawall and brought on about $30 million in injury.

Harm from the storms has been recorded in 41 of the state’s 58 counties, with 9 atmospheric rivers since late December collapsing hillsides, downing huge bushes, breaking levees, washing away roads, knocking out energy, forcing evacuations and flooding residences.

“Excessive climate attributable to local weather change means stronger and extra frequent storms, extra intense droughts, longer wildfire seasons ― all of which threaten communities throughout California,” Biden stated. “So now we have to spend money on a stronger infrastructure to minimize the affect of those disasters as a result of they turn out to be cumulative, in a way.”

Hundreds of properties could also be tagged as uninhabitable, an official advised The Related Press this week. As of Thursday, the storms have claimed 21 lives, and 5,000 individuals are nonetheless with out energy.

Although the state had a reprieve from the heavy downpours in current days, gentle rainfall within the forecast continues to be a critical risk on such saturated land.

Coastal communities, like those Biden visited at present, are amongst these hit the toughest. Some roads there could take weeks to clear and months to restore absolutely. In Santa Cruz County, the place Biden delivered his remarks Thursday, roads have been washed into the ocean, and residents say the waves crashing ashore are a number of the biggest they’ve ever seen. The price of injury in that county alone is at present estimated at round $55 million.

The federal authorities has promised to cowl 100% of the price of eradicating particles and different emergency prices, equivalent to sheltering folks and paying first responders for extra time work, for the following 60 days, Biden reminded the gang in Aptos on Thursday.

Farmers and ranchers who noticed crops and livestock washed away by the storms are additionally eligible for low-interest loans and grants to rebuild, Biden stated.

Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who spoke earlier than the president, stated they’re sustaining hope that search and rescue groups can discover and save 5-year-old Kyle Doan, who was swept away by floodwaters in San Miguel whereas heading to highschool along with his mom 10 days in the past.

Following Biden’s remarks, environmental activists stated they need larger local weather commitments from his administration.

“What number of extra lives have to be misplaced? What number of extra decimated properties should President Biden and Governor Newsom go to? We live in a local weather emergency, and our elected leaders should take motion to guard our communities,” Caroline Henderson, Greenpeace’s senior local weather campaigner, stated in a press release Thursday, including: “Final 12 months, President Biden stated that he would take care of the local weather emergency, however now we have seen little or no motion. It’s time for him to make good on these phrases by declaring a local weather emergency.”