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What Florida Needs to Recover From Hurricane Ian
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
October 13, 2022
RealClear Florida
…Over the course of [Hurricane Ian], Florida suffered as much as $50 billion in property damage. Whole communities were destroyed. Islands were cut off. And the death toll, now exceeding 100, continues to rise. It’s the worst natural disaster to hit Florida in almost a century….
Given the scale and scope of the disaster[,] the federal government has an important role to play in facilitating Florida’s recovery. No matter how well-prepared a state or local government may be, efforts of this magnitude require federal assistance….
As a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, I am working with my colleagues in Congress to approve a $33 billion spending package laser-focused on helping Florida recover from this catastrophic storm. The approval and [implementation] of this assistance should not be politicized, delayed, or exploited.
The list of Florida’s needs is long and varied. Certain crops have been wiped out, and it will take about $2 billion to restore the farms and orchards that grew them…. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to ensure that Floridians have clean drinking water. Florida residents also require at least $5 billion through the Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery. And we need at least $10 billion for construction projects conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers….
It’s a lot of money––and in truth, it is probably just the beginning. The damage done by Ian was extensive and crosses huge portions of the state. Though it will take time to calculate that damage and understand what is needed to rebuild, we can’t wait forever to appropriate the funds.
Florida will never be the same. But we are resilient people, and with help, we can and will regain our strength. Now it’s up to Congress to help make that happen. To my colleagues in the Senate and the House: Let’s get this done.
Read the rest here.