On Thursday, May 8, Governor Rick Scott requested federal Public Assistance for Florida counties, in addition to the Individual Assistance that was granted to Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Public Assistance funding will aid local governments in rebuilding infrastructure after the severe storms and flooding that impacted Florida communities. Governor Scott requested Public Assistance funding be granted for Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties.
âPublic Assistance, if granted, will assist communities in re-building damaged infrastructure, and will help the survivors in those communities return to normal,â said State Coordinating Officer, Bryan W. Koon.
Public Assistance provides grant assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures. Costs for repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly-owned facilities can also be covered under Public Assistance.
Public Assistance from the federal declaration comes in conjunction with the earlier approval of Individual Assistance for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the those counties can continue applying for assistance starting today by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.
State and FEMA teams continue to conduct Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments for the Public and Individual Assistance Programs in those counties affected by the flooding. Governor Scottâs request may continue to be amended in the coming days to add requests for additional counties as results from those Preliminary Damage Assessments are finalized.
From April 28 through May 2, a severe weather system brought torrential rains to the Northern Florida Gulf Coast. Governor Scott signed Executive Order 14-144, declaring a State of Emergency for 26 Florida Counties on April 30. Two Florida rivers, the Santa Fe and Choctawhatchee, reached major flood stage, while three additional rivers reached moderate flood stage and 14 reached minor flood stage.