ABC News’ Mary Bruce Reports: In the wake of Hurricane Irene, President Obama said today that “it's going to take time to recover from a storm of this magnitude” and vowed that the federal government is doing everything in its power to help.

“This morning we're continuing to deal with the impact and the aftermath of Hurricane Irene… We're going to make sure folks have all the support they need as they begin to assess and repair the damage left by the storm, and that's going to continue in the days ahead,” Obama said in the Rose Garden today.

The president said that the “effects are still being felt across much of the country,” including in New England and states like Vermont, where there’s been significant flooding. Obama signed an emergency declaration for Vermont earlier this morning.

“So our response continues, but I'm going to make sure that FEMA and other agencies are doing everything in their power to help people on the ground,” the president said.