The remnants of Hurricane Ida cut a deadly path across Queens, killing 13 people, 11 of whom drowned in their own basements. Flooding left many residents without homes, their belongings destroyed.

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards has been dealing with the aftermath of the storm for nearly four months, fighting to get those impacted the help they need. He joins Cheryl Wills as the first in-studio In Focus guest since the pandemic began to talk about his efforts to get federal, state and city funding to those who need it most.

He talks about meeting with President Joe Biden for a walk through the hardest-hit neighborhoods, and the President’s promise not to turn his back on those struggling to recover. He also talks about his meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris as she visited the borough to talk about climate initiatives, something particularly important to Queens, as it sits surrounded by the Atlantic, Jamaica Bay, the East River and Long Island Sound.