WASHINGTON – (352today.com) – On Friday, Oct. 11. 2024, President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Florida, enabling federal assistance to help in the recovery efforts following the impact of Hurricane Milton, which began on Oct. 5, 2024.

Key Points:
  • Federal Disaster Assistance: The declaration allows for federal disaster assistance to be provided to the state of Florida to supplement state, local, and tribal recovery efforts.
  • Areas Affected: Federal aid will be available to affected individuals in the following counties:
    • Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia.
    • The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida is also included.
  • Assistance for Individuals: Federal funding is available for:
    • Temporary housing
    • Home repairs
    • Low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses
    • Programs to help individuals and businesses recover from the disaster
  • Support for Governments and Nonprofits: Federal funding is also available to:
    • State, tribal, and local governments, as well as certain private nonprofit organizations, on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work.
  • Debris Removal and Emergency Protective Measures: For the first 90 days within the 120-day period starting from October 5, assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures will be authorized at 100%.
  • Hazard Mitigation: Federal funding will also be available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures across the state of Florida.
  • Federal Coordination: John E. Brogan has been appointed as the Federal Coordinating Officer for recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made based on further damage assessments.
  • Application for Assistance:
    • Individuals and business owners in designated areas can apply for assistance via:
    • Those using relay services like video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service should provide FEMA with the number for that service.

This federal aid aims to accelerate recovery efforts and provide relief for those impacted by Hurricane Milton’s devastation across Florida.