Governor Ron DeSantis to Request a Major Disaster Declaration in Response to Southeast Florida Flooding
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced he will request a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County due to the catastrophic impacts of unprecedented flooding in Southeast Florida. If granted by the White House, a Major Disaster Declaration will provide a wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure damaged by the floods.
On Monday, April 17th Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie requested Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams deploy to Broward County for in-person PDAs. Joint State & Federal Teams have been in the field conducting damage assessments in impacted flood areas since Wednesday, April 19th and are estimated to complete physical assessments this weekend. In less than three days, teams have assessed over 1,300 homes and identified over 1,000 with major damages.
In response to the significant flooding in southeast Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $5 million available for businesses impacted by flooding in Southeast Florida. Businesses in Broward County, including sole proprietors, are eligible to apply. Florida’s small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.
On April 13, less than 24 hours after flooding began, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 23-65 declaring a State of Emergency in Broward County. The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) remains in communication with areas impacted by devastating flooding and continues to deploy state resources and assistance as requested, including 1-million gallons of fuel in response to fuel distribution delays.
On Wednesday, April 12, the National Weather Service in Miami issued a Flash Flood Emergency for the areas of Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. The heaviest rainfall was observed in Broward County, with 25.91 inches of rain measured at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. In addition to the extensive flooding, the National Weather Service in Miami confirmed areas of damage were consistent with two EF-0 tornadoes in Broward County. One tornado in Dania Beach produced metal siding and roof damage through a mobile home park, and the second tornado caused tree damage near West Hollywood.
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