FT. MYERS, Fla. – Today, Senator Rick Scott visited Ft. Myers to host a press conference as part of his Hurricane Preparedness Tour and was joined by CFO Jimmy Patronis, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and local leaders. This week, Senator Scott is traveling the state and urging Florida families to make a plan to get ready for the 2024 Hurricane Season which begins on Saturday, June 1. Throughout the week, Senator Scott will continue traveling around Florida to emphasize the importance of hurricane preparedness and meet with local elected leaders, law enforcement, emergency management officials and business owners. This week, Senator Scott visited Mexico Beach in Florida’s panhandle, St. Pete Beach and Hialeah as part of his statewide tour. See more HERE, HERE and HERE.

Senator Scott continues fighting to ensure Washington remains a partner to Floridians still recovering from past storms and will show up should disaster strike again. Earlier this month, Senator Scott sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell once again voicing concerns about the impending exhaustion of the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). As Floridians prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, the DRF must be full funded and able to respond following natural disasters. This letter follows reports that the agency expects the DRF to run out of funds by August 2024 and may need to activate an immediate needs funding designation as early as June. Read more HERE.

Senator Rick Scott said, “With the 2024 Hurricane Season beginning soon, I am traveling around Florida to send one very clear message: now is the time for every family to make a plan and get prepared. Families down here are still recovering from Hurricane Ian and the terrible devastation and flooding it caused. We lost so many Floridians in that storm and we can't let that happen again. The time to prepare is now! 

"We never want to see a disaster hit, but now is a great opportunity for you and your family to stock your disaster supply kits with vital supplies like a first aid kit, a radio, flashlights, batteries, and other necessities—and you can buy hurricane supplies sales-tax-free from June 1^st through June 14^th, so take advantage of that. As I always say, you can rebuild your home, but you can’t rebuild your life. Don’t put your family and loved ones at risk. Don’t wait to take action. Get prepared today.”

Senator Scott continues to work with Lee County officials to keep FEMA flood insurance discounts in place for NFIP policy holders. Every week since FEMA made the decision to downgrade the CRS rating back in April, Senator Scott has been engaged with local officials in Lee County in conference calls and has sent several letters to FEMA to ensure Lee County has the information and time it needs to rectify the situation. While he secured a 60-day extension for Lee County officials to fulfill FEMA’s requests, Senator Scott won't stop fighting until there is a permanent solution that keeps these discounts in place.

Florida families and businesses can visit www.rickscott.senate.gov/hurricane-preparedness to make a disaster preparedness plan and find helpful resources to keep their families safe before, during and after a storm.

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