President Joe Biden plans to leave for a vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday after the United States was blasted with record-cold temperatures and winter weather.
The president and his family leave Tuesday evening for St. Croix and plan to stay on the island for the rest of the week to celebrate New Year’s Day.
Meanwhile, about 50 people were killed across the United States as a bomb cyclone of Arctic air created record winter storms and freezing temperatures across most of the country. The city of Buffalo suffered a “once-in-a-generation” storm as 43 inches of snow fell over the weekend. The death toll in Buffalo reached 27 as of Tuesday morning.
The president phoned New York Governor Kathy Hochul after she personally visited Buffalo to witness the devastation from the storm.
The White House posted a photo of Biden on the phone from the White House on the president’s social media accounts.
“My heart is with those who lost loved ones this holiday weekend. You are in my and Jill’s prayers,” he wrote as he prepared to leave for his vacation.
“We stand ready to make sure they have the resources they need to get through this,” he added.