Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) in support of the State of Florida’s major disaster declaration after Hurricane Helene – which needed approval from the Commander-In-Chief. The state received the necessary approval, and President Biden said the administration “will be with you every step of the way.”
The Category 4 storm caused troublesome flooding in the Tampa Bay region and massive damage to the Big Bend region. The president made federal funding available for affected individuals in Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties.
In their letter, the senators stressed the importance of this declaration to President Biden.
“Hurricane Helene’s devastating wind speeds, extreme storm surge, and heavy rainfall severely impacted substantial portions of the state, with significant flooding, massive power outages, and widespread damage that will take a strong partnership to recover and rebuild,” wrote Sens. Rubio and Scott.
They continued by sharing that the approval would foster a culture of preparedness for the recovery efforts.
“Unfortunately, Helene’s effects will continue to impact the state for some time, and the full extent of damage will not be known for several days as response and recovery efforts get underway,” said Rubio and Scott. “However, approving this declaration request will allow Floridians to be better prepared for the recovery phase. As such, we urge you to approve the State of Florida’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration in its entirety.”
Furthermore, President Biden stated that he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation” caused by the storm in the Southeast.
“Vice President Harris and I remained focused on life-saving and life-sustaining response and recovery efforts,” said Biden.
Additionally, Western North Carolina is facing enormous flooding, power outages, and scarcity of supplies as the National Guard is attempting to conduct search and rescue missions for the area. The president has also issued federal funding for State, tribal, and eligible private nonprofit organizations on a “cost-sharing basis for emergency work.”
