Accomplishments

Delivering Results

Disaster Recovery

ready to assist Floridians

Senator Marco Rubio and his team are ready to assist Floridians and their families in the face of natural disasters, working closely with the Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure Florida receives adequate federal funding.

Hurricane Irma

In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the Florida Keys and South Florida and brought damage along its path through the peninsula. As he rode out the storm, Rubio was making preparations for his staff to host comprehensive recovery assistance centers (RACs) to connect Floridians with the federal resources they needed to rebuild. Rubio’s team helped more than 10,000 Floridians who came to a RAC seeking assistance.

billions of dollars

Rubio secured billions of dollars to assist in rebuilding, including a $616 million hurricane disaster recovery plan for affordable housing in the Keys, technical assistance for displaced Puerto Rican business owners, and direct grants to low-income business owners and homeowners who suffered damages from the storm. Rubio also secured the creation of the $343 million Florida Citrus Recovery Block Grant for Florida’s citrus growers and more than $500 million to expedite the completion of the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation by 2022.

Hurricane Michael

In 2018, following the devastation caused by Category 5 Hurricane Michael, Rubio again took quick action to secure presidential approval of a Major Disaster Declaration. He also pushed supplemental disaster relief legislation through Congress that included approximately $380 million in relief for timber growers in the Florida Panhandle. His team also went door to door assisting residents to ensure they were able to get the necessary help and resources.

Thanks to Rubio, FEMA increased its reimbursement rate to localities and electric cooperatives for debris cleanup, extra security measures, building repair, and mitigation projects. And he secured critical funding for the Panhandle’s recovery, including multiple rounds of funding for construction to rebuild Tyndall Air Force Base. Rubio’s team hosted a RAC in the Panhandle and assisted more than 2,000 individuals with FEMA and recovery resources.

In 2019, when Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas, Rubio worked with local officials to ensure that aid was delivered to the islands. Rubio and his staff also assisted the families of U.S. citizens with consular services ranging from passports to visa appointments.

Rubio was in Northwest Florida days after Hurricane Sally’s landfall and helped secure federal relief for counties in the region, including FEMA Individual Assistance for individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Sally.

In 2020, Rubio was on the ground shortly after Hurricane Sally brought devastating winds, historic rainfall and catastrophic storm surge to Northwest Florida. He worked with the Trump Administration to secure a Major Disaster Declaration to ensure the prompt distribution of much-needed federal resources and his staff continues to work with residents assisting their rebuilding efforts.

Important information about Hurricane Idalia recovery and assistance.