Hurricane Sandy Update: Obama Says 'This Is Going To Be Big And Poweful' (WATCH VIDEO)
President Barack Obama cut his campaign trip to Florida short, as he rushed back to the White House to meet with federal officials about Hurricane Sandy. The president assured the nation that "I'm confident we're ready."
In a statement while addressing the nation in the White House Briefing Room, the president said he's spoken with the governors of all states that will be affected by the storm and can confirm that "there are no unmet needs" in the preparation of Sandy's landfall on Monday night.
In his address, President Obama warned that "this is going to be a big and powerful storm."
"The most important message that I have for the public right now is please listen to what your state and local officials are saying," President Obama said. "When they tell you to evacuate, you need to evacuate."
"Do not delay, don't pause, don't question the instructions that are being given because this is a serious storm and it could potentially have fatal consequences if people haven't acted quickly," he added.
The president believes that all appropriate preparations have been made across the eastern seaboard. He mentioned that if the public doesn't listen to the directions of officials, the storm could claim fatalities that could have otherwise been avoided.
According to CBS News, the Obama campaign used its long email list of contributors to send out a similar message from the president.
"If you live in the storm's path, please listen to state and local authorities about where and how to take shelter and stay safe --and encourage your friends and family to do the same," the email stated. "If you are asked to evacuate please take that seriously."
In his white house statement, President Obama also cautioned the public to "prepare for the fact that this is going to take a long time for us to clean up."
"The good news is we will clean up and we will get through this," the president said.
Mr. Obama also added that he is worried about the impact of the super storm on families, the economy, transportation and the country's first responders.
"The election will take care of itself next week," the president said. "Right now out number one priority is to make sure that we are saving lives, that our search and rescue teams are going to be in place, that people are going to get the food, the water, the shelter that they need in case of emergency and that we respond as quickly as possible to get the economy back on track."
