Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic path through northwest Florida, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from Citrus County. Senator Rubio also met with small business owners impacted by the storm. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with first responders, local officials, and volunteers in Pasco County. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio meets with the Pasco County Sheriff Chris...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with Cedar Key residents and homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. Rubio then met with members of the aquaculture industry to discuss the impact multiple hurricanes have had on the industry. Photos are courtesy of...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) visited the Taylor County Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and Keaton Beach, an area highly impacted by Hurricane Helene. Photos are courtesy of Senator Rubio’s office. Senator Rubio meets with Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett....
After making landfall as a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for Floridia’s farmers to receive the necessary resources for recovery. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), and...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host a two day in-person event to assist constituents affected by Hurricane Helene and help navigate applications for FEMA assistance. Food, water, and additional resources will be available at the events. Event...
Washington, D.C. —U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL), and U.S. Representative Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) today urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to expedite reimbursement of disaster assistance funds to local governments and to coordinate with the State of Florida to ensure that concerns of deobligation are appropriately addressed.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Administrator Long:
We write to address continued delays in Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) reimbursement of disaster related funds to local governments. In the last two years alone, Florida has been hit by Hurricanes Hermine, Matthew and Irma, causing significant damages, and depleting local government funds.
While we understand it is necessary for proper documentation to be provided, with steps to audit and validate, this process must be completed to allow disaster stricken communities to complete repairs and prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, which begins in less than two months. According to recent reports, seven months after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc across the entire state, FEMA has only issued a small fraction of the total requests. Therefore, we urge FEMA to take reasonable actions to expedite its disbursement processes and to coordinate with the State of Florida to ensure that concerns of deobligation are appropriately addressed.
Local governments are cash-strapped with little to no funding in their budgets to repair damaged communities, while also preparing for the fast approaching 2018 hurricane season. It is critical that FEMA responsibly provide local governments with the assistance Congress appropriated to address current damages and the ability to prepare communities for the upcoming hurricane season.
Thank you for your attention to this important request. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,