President Joe Biden arrived at the corner of 24th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard Tuesday to witness the aftermath of what dozens of residents had survived just days ago: a gushing flow of rainwater that flooded their street and tore through their basements, tearing away belongings and leaving destruction in its path.

“Let me begin by saying I wish every American could walk down this alley with me to see and talk to the people who have been devastated,” Biden said, delivering remarks after a short tour of the area. 

President Biden toured homes in East Elmhurst on Monday flanked by city and state elected officials. He promised to deliver resources to those who are now trying to recover. 

“My message to everyone grappling with this devastation is, We're here. We're not going home until this gets done. I really mean that. We're not leaving," Biden said. "We're going to continue to shout as long as it takes to get real progress here."

Biden approved a major disaster declaration for New York, making federal funding available to those who had property damaged by the storm.

The president also warned that extreme weather events like Hurricane Ida are a sign of a nation in peril as a result of climate change. He stressed that drastic action would be needed in order to prevent weather patterns from worsening and continuing to wreak havoc across the country. 

“We got to listen to the scientists and the economists and the national security experts," Biden said. "They all tell us this is code red; the nation and the world are in peril. And that's not hyperbole — that is a fact."

Biden also promoted his $1 trillion infrastructure plan, which passed the Senate in August but must still pass in the House. If enacted, the proposal would help strengthen the country’s response to climate change. It’s a tall order that would require the support of all 50 Senate Democrats and more moderate members of the House. 

Meanwhile, following Biden’s visit, Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Flushing, a hard hit neighborhood where cleanup has been slow and residents are frustrated that they haven’t heard from state or local agencies yet. 

“Nobody else has come out here yet, people need help, people need food, people need a help to stay,” Hochul said to reporters after visiting with residents of the area, many who are still living without gas or hot water. 

In the meantime, Hochul has ordered a review of how the state responded to the storm and how to improve emergency responses.