Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s gulf coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with the Florida Farm Bureau as well as local agricultural producers, farmers, and growers to discuss the storm’s impact. Photos are courtesy of...
Following Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic damage throughout Florida’s Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) met with local officials and volunteers from the barrier islands to discuss the storm’s impact and current recovery efforts. Photos are courtesy of...
Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing catastrophic damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s crucial for the federal government to expedite state-requested resources and authorize key policy flexibilities in order for Floridians to make a swift...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host two in-person events 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...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host in-person and virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of...
Following the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Debby, some local governments in Florida face looming budget shortfalls that could disrupt disaster recovery efforts. If these local governments receive reimbursements for past hurricanes from the Federal Emergency...
Miami, FL — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today urged President Donald Trump to approve Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ request to amend the Emergency Declaration to allow for Category B reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which allows for expenses related to shelters, removal of health and safety hazards, evacuation measures, etc.
Following a letter led by Senators Rubio and Rick Scott (R-FL), President Trump approved Florida’s request for an Emergency Declaration prior to Hurricane Dorian impacting the state. However, that designation only provided for direct federal assistance for emergency protective measures. The Governor estimates approximately $197.3 million was expended in preparation for Hurricane Dorian, and requests Category B reimbursement be extended to the state and 24 counties.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Mr. President:
I write to thank you for your prompt approval of the State of Florida’s request for an emergency declaration and in support of Governor DeSantis’ request for Category B reimbursement. As you know, the emergency declaration is critical to ensuring that localities across the state were able to take the appropriate measures to lessen the immediate threats to the lives, public health, and safety of Floridians. However, this did not include reimbursement for eligible emergency protective measures for Category B expenses under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program.
At the time the State of Florida made the request, Hurricane Dorian was expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, which would cause significant damage. This type of threat required immediate action to be taken by local governments across the state to ensure that their communities and its citizenry were protected. Local and state officials heeded FEMA’s advice and incurred significant costs, estimated to be $197.3 million, in making preparations to ensure they were well-prepared for a storm of significant magnitude.
While I consider ourselves fortunate that the path of Hurricane Dorian veered away from the peninsula of Florida, I cannot forget the costs that localities have incurred to protect their communities over the past several hurricane seasons. Within the last three years, Florida has been directly impacted by Hurricanes Michael, Irma, Hermine, and Matthew. Many of these communities are still awaiting federal reimbursements for monies spent to rebuild and restore their communities from these disasters, and will face a significant challenge in preparing for the next storm without federal financial assistance. Thus, I request you amend the emergency declaration for the State of Florida to provide financial assistance in the form of reimbursement for eligible Category B expenses undertaken in preparation for Hurricane Dorian.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and I look forward to working with your administration to ensure Florida remains prepared during this hurricane season.
Sincerely,