When Hurricane Ian hit Florida on Wednesday, it caused a lot of damage. As rescue teams continue to look for people trapped by floodwaters, there is a growing fear that they will find a huge number of bodies. Medical examiners in the state have said that Ian has killed at least 44 people.

On Saturday, more than 1.1 million homes and businesses still didn’t have power. Florida officials said Friday that the state, with help from federal and local responders, had saved more than 700 people. On Saturday, officials said that more than 1,300 search and rescue workers, including five teams from out of state, were looking for people who might still be alive.

“We’re just starting to see how bad the damage is. “It’s likely to be one of the worst things in U.S. history,” Vice President Joe Biden said on Friday. “You’ve all seen on TV how homes and other things can be destroyed. Rebuilding will take months or even years. We feel bad for everyone whose lives have been ruined by the storm. The heart of America is breaking.”

The work to clean up after Hurricane Ian has also threatened to overshadow the damage Hurricane Fiona did to Puerto Rico. Since the hurricane hit the island two weeks ago, more than 200,000 people still don’t have electricity.

Community and nonprofit leaders on the ground have been critical of the Biden administration. For example, they were upset that the federal government did not initially include all of Puerto Rico in the president’s disaster declaration. They were also upset that the federal government was slow to send help to areas that were being flooded badly.

Some Puerto Ricans worry that their recovery will slow down even more as the federal government focuses on fixing the damage caused by Hurricane Ian. On Thursday, Biden told FEMA that he is still focused on the “recovery of the island,” and on Friday, he reaffirmed his commitment to Puerto Rico.

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