Sen. Rick Scott Shares Hurricane Recovery Resources
Dear Fellow Floridian,
Since Hurricane Milton made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast and brought massive storm surge, flooding and deadly tornadoes with it, I’ve traveled across the state to see the damage firsthand, and spoke with families who are starting to pick up the pieces and are just devastated by the damage. Like I told them, you aren’t alone and I know this recovery is an all-hands-on-deck approach from our local, state and federal partners. That is why I’m fighting to make sure the federal government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) all SHOW UP as a partner today, tomorrow and every day until Florida is fully recovered.
On Sunday, I joined President Joe Biden and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on the ground in St. Pete Beach, which was completely destroyed by Hurricane Milton. Following Hurricane Helene, I told President Biden exactly what is needed to ensure Florida has every federal resource to fully recover from that storm and now Hurricane Milton, I reiterated that in our call last week and again today. Here’s what I stressed to the president: I’m calling on Schumer to bring the Senate back ASAP when our communities have assessed their needs, which I told the president must be expedited, to pass needed disaster funding for FEMA, SBA and the USDA and approve common sense relief like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act.
The president told me he agreed with me on this last week. We must also ensure FEMA opens Disaster Recovery Centers close to the areas hit hardest, so those impacted have easy access to federal resources to recover. Finally, I again stressed to President Biden the importance of USDA immediately approving block grants for our farmers who have been struggling since Ian in 2022. I discussed the same things during my calls on Thursday with FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. I’m going to continue fighting like hell to make sure this happens and aid is delivered to families in need.
I know there may be some concerns about what the process will look like for you as you recover from Milton and continue recovering from Helene. I've spoken to FEMA and want you to know, especially as more counties are approved for individual assistance because of Hurricane Milton, you must apply for assistance for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton separately, meaning if you were impacted by more than one storm, you should treat each storm as an individual occurrence when applying for assistance and reporting damage. For more information on the counties available for individual assistance following Hurricane Milton, click HERE. For more information on the counties available for individual assistance following Hurricane Helene, click HERE. For more information on the counties available for individual assistance following Hurricane Debby, click HERE.
There are three ways apply for FEMA assistance:
Online by visiting disasterassistance.gov.
Calling 1-800-621-3362.
Download and apply on the FEMA App.
But remember, you MUST apply for each storm separately. Just because you applied for Helene or Debby assistance does not make you eligible for Milton, so take some time to apply again, and make sure you get every federal resource available to you after this storm, and if you have any questions at all, please contact my office for help.
Floridians are resilient, and we will get through this together. My office is committed to making sure Floridians have access to the tools and federal resources necessary to rebuild. If you or someone you know needs help with a federal agency, click HERE. See more about the resources available to you, your family or your businesses as you recover from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton below or click HERE.
Sincerely,
Senator Rick Scott
United States Senator