President Joe Biden on Sunday toured areas of Florida devastated by back-to-back hurricanes and announced federal funding for projects to strengthen the power grid as well as a “whole-of-government” effort to help the state recover.

We are in frequent contact, and in moments like these, we come together to care for one another – not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans. “Americans who need help and Americans who will help you if you were in the same situation,” Biden said in St. Petersburg. “We are one, the United States.”

Biden also announced $612 million for six Department of Energy projects in the Southeast.

Two of the projects are focused on Florida and provide a total of $94 million in federal funding, according to the White House.

“This funding will not only restore power, but also make the region’s electric system stronger and more efficient, reducing the frequency and duration of power outages as extreme weather events become more common,” Biden said.

Gainesville Regional Utilities will use the funds to mitigate the impacts of increasingly extreme weather conditions in North Central Florida “through storm hardening as well as faster recovery through the use of self-healing equipment and tools that enable more efficient and precise field dispatch.” “Weaken teams during outages,” the White House said in a statement.

Switched Source, a private utility technology developer, will work with Florida Power and Light to deploy Phase-EQ, which “optimizes the flow of power in distribution circuits, unlocking over 200 MW of system capacity and improving the reliability of the circuits that serve the most served communities . “vulnerable to extended outages,” the White House said.

“These investments are part of the President’s commitment to make long-term investments that protect, improve and modernize our nation’s electric grid, particularly in the face of extreme weather events,” the White House said in a statement.

Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm. At least 16 people died in the storm and over a million remain without power.

On Sunday, Biden thanked local officials for their response, noting that several homes had been damaged or flooded by the storms and acknowledging the first responders who poured into the area in the days after Milton.

“Look at the numbers that have come here from all over the country — Canada, California, Nebraska, the whole country — to help. Men and women in uniform, like I said, health care workers, neighbors helping neighbors, and so many more people,” Biden said. “This is all a team effort, guys. It made a huge difference and saved lives. But there is much more to do.”