U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody announced that she has helped secure more than $64 million in FEMA assistance for Charlotte County as Florida communities continue recovering from major hurricanes.
Moody announced the funding in Punta Gorda at the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center. The money will support 28 restoration projects in the county, including work involving waterways, roads, traffic signal systems, debris removal and improvements to the Port of Charlotte.
The funding is part of nearly $2 billion in FEMA assistance, Moody says she has helped secure statewide. The projects are tied to recovery from Hurricanes Debby, Helene, Milton, Idalia and Ian.
“Florida has been waiting on essential disaster assistance funds for hurricane recovery since 2017,” Moody said. “I’ve been in the Senate for less than a year and a half and have worked hard to bring nearly $2 billion of outstanding FEMA funds back home to Florida. I’ll continue fighting to deliver the federal support Floridians need while making the disaster recovery process more transparent, efficient, and accountable.”
In addition to the Charlotte County funding, Moody announced that more than $57 million has been secured for nearby Lee County and more than $4.2 million for Collier County. Another $14.4 million has been secured for joint projects involving Charlotte County and other Southwest Florida counties.
Statewide, Moody’s office said more than $1.8 billion in FEMA Public Assistance funding has been secured for Florida. The money will support more than 500 recovery projects through FEMA’s Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs.
The funds are distributed to state and local governments for disaster recovery projects, including repairs to educational facilities, restoration of critical infrastructure, debris removal and emergency costs tied to protecting life and property.
Moody has also pushed for changes to the FEMA aid process. She introduced the TRACK Act, or Transparency in Recovery Assistance & Claims Knowledge Act, which has since been signed into law.
The measure requires FEMA to provide a status tracker on its website so disaster victims can more easily monitor the progress of their claims.
