WASHINGTON  — President Obama said Sunday that the storm taking aim at the East Coast is a “serious and big storm” that will be slow-moving and might take time to clear up. The government would “respond big and respond fast” after it hits, he said.

Obama met with federal emergency officials for an update on the storm’s path and the danger it poses to the Mid-Atlantic and New England.

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President Obama attends a briefing with Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate, right, at the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA headquarters in Washington on Sunday. The Associated Press

“My main message to everybody involved is that we have to take this seriously,” Obama said. He urged people to “listen to your local officials.”

The president said emergency officials were confident that staging for the storm was in place.

Hurricane Sandy was expected to hit the East Coast late Monday, then combine with two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a hybrid superstorm. At least four battleground states are likely to be hit: New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia.

Obama traveled the nearly three miles from the White House to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters in his motorcade. He made the comments after a briefing by agency officials that was led by Administrator Craig Fugate. The group participated in a conference call with governors from states in the storm’s path. The president also met with FEMA workers and thanked them.

“My message to the governors as well as to the mayors is anything they need, we will be there, and we will cut through red tape. We are not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules,” he said. “We want to make sure we are anticipating and leaning forward into making sure that we have the best possible response to what is going to be a big and messy system.”

Later Sunday the president was heading to Florida where he’s campaigning on Monday.

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