On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending almost $10 million to the Florida Department of Transportation to reimburse the cost of cleaning up debris Jackson County after Hurricane Michael hit that area in October.
“This is also the first FDOT project reimbursed under the expedited FEMA reimbursement process, which the Florida Division of Emergency Management requested at the direction of Governor DeSantis,” the governor’s office noted. “This means that not only is the state of Florida saving nearly $2.5 million in taxpayer dollars, but also this funding is flowing as fast as possible to help Northwest Florida recover from Hurricane Michael.”
DeSantis praised his ally President Donald Trump for helping the Panhandle.
“Today’s announcement is made possible because President Trump heard my request and ordered these federal dollars to be released,” said DeSantis. “Under my watch, and thanks to the president, those impacted by Hurricane Michael will not be forgotten. I’m proud of the work our state continues to do for the people of Northwest Florida.”
Jackson County is one of eight counties in North Florida which are getting money to help clear debris.
“I am grateful to Governor DeSantis for all of his efforts to secure this funding to help those devastated by Hurricane Michael,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault. “The Department is committed to helping our local communities rebuild and will continue to work with the governor and support his efforts to ensure Florida fully recovers following the storm.”
“The Florida Division of Emergency Management continues to examine every process, procedure and program to ensure we’re doing everything we can to help the Panhandle recover,” said DEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “This expedited project shows that we’ve already started cutting away at the red tape that has been a roadblock in the past.”
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