Gov. Ron DeSantis Requests Major Disaster Declaration in Response to Southeast Florida Flooding
By Space Coast Daily // April 22, 2023
BROWARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – 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.
