Hurricane Ian ‘ends discussion’ on climate crisis, Biden says on Florida visit

Joe Biden has urged action to tackle the climate crisis after surveying by helicopter the devastation wrought in Florida by Hurricane Ian, one of the fiercest storms in American history.

Visiting Fort Myers, which bore the brunt of the damage, the US president shook hands and ostensibly put up a united front with Ron DeSantis, the rightwing Florida governor touted as a potential challenger in the 2024 election.

But Biden did make a pointed comment about climate change's impact on America that drew a contrast with DeSantis, who has previously avoided the term and dismissed such concerns as "leftwing stuff".

"More fires have burned in the west and the south-west, burned everything right to the ground, than in the entire state of New Jersey, as much room as that takes up," the president said. "The reservoirs out west here are down to almost zero. We're in a situation where the Colorado River looks more like a stream.

"There's a lot going on, and I think the one thing this has finally ended is a discussion about whether or not there's climate change, and [that] we should do something about it."

DeSantis, standing behind the president's left shoulder, shifted his feet slightly and blinked but remained expressionless.

At least 84 people are confirmed dead, although the unofficial death toll is over 100 and still rising, and nearly 400,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Florida after the hurricane crashed across the state with 150mph (240km/h) winds and a punishing storm surge.