WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott led Senator Marco Rubio and Representatives Kat Cammack, Vern Buchanan, Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor, Neal Dunn, Laurel Lee, Daniel Webster and Michael Waltz in a letter to President Biden in support of the state of Florida’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration due to Hurricane Idalia, which caused catastrophic damage in the state as it made landfall near Keaton Beach as a major hurricane early yesterday morning.

Senator Scott is traveling the state to visit impacted areas and continues to speak with mayors, law enforcement, business and community leaders, utilities and federal officials to ensure Florida’s families and communities are getting every resource needed to recover from the storm. Click HERE for more information on federal resources available to Floridians and impacted communities following Hurricane Idalia. 

Read the full letter HERE or below.

August 31, 2023

The Honorable Joe Biden

President

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We write in support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration due to Hurricane Idalia, which caused catastrophic damage as it made landfall near Keaton Beach as a major hurricane early yesterday morning. Hurricane Idalia’s devastating wind speeds, historic storm surge, and heavy rainfall severely impacted substantial portions of the state, with significant flooding, massive power outages, and widespread damage that will take a strong partnership to recover and rebuild.

This major hurricane will continue to impact the state for some time, and the full extent of damage will not be known for days. However, approving this declaration request will allow Floridians to be better prepared for the recovery phase. As such, we urge you to approve the State of Florida’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.

Floridians are incredibly resilient, and with the cooperation from all levels of government, we will rebuild stronger than ever. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

                                                                        Sincerely,

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