Gov. Ron DeSantis has requested a major disaster declaration for Broward County due to the devastating flooding last week, his office announced in a press release Saturday, the first step towards possible federal assistance for struggling residents.
The Biden administration must now decide whether to approve the declaration and what kind of assistance the county can receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
For the past week, residents have anxiously awaited word about financial help from FEMA. Many are living in homes where mold has grown due to the flooding, and are unable to afford home repairs without assistance. Some will need to relocate permanently.
Over the past week, FEMA officials joined people from the State Division of Emergency Management in assessing the damage to thousands of homes in hard-hit neighborhoods like Melrose Park and Edgewood. So far, teams have assessed over 1,300 homes, according to the press release. Over 1,000 of them had major damage.
The teams are expected to finish their work this weekend, the press release said.
FEMA offers both individual assistance and public assistance. Individual assistance can include money for temporary housing, repairs, losses in insured or uninsured property, and medical expenses. Public assistance goes to local governments to help pay for things like debris removal and repairs to infrastructure.
DeSantis has also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, the press release said, with up to $5 million available for businesses affected by the flooding.
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