MELBOURNE, Fla. – Today, Senator Rick Scott visited Melbourne to host a press conference as part of his Hurricane Preparedness Tour and was joined by Congressman Bill Posey and local leaders. This week Senator Scott traveled the state and urged Florida families to make a plan to get ready for the 2024 Hurricane Season which begins on Saturday, June 1. During his statewide tour, Senator Scott emphasized the importance of hurricane preparedness and meet with local elected leaders, law enforcement, emergency management officials and business owners. In addition to Melbourne, this week, Senator Scott visited Mexico Beach in Florida’s panhandle, St. Pete Beach, Hialeah and Ft. Myers as part of his statewide tour.

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. I cannot tell you how many Floridians I have talked to that barely survived hurricanes and wish they would have done more to be prepared. I've also talked to heartbroken families that lost a loved one who didn't take these storms seriously. I know so many families are still working to recover and get back to their homes and businesses. Some of our communities got lucky with these storms, but you cannot count on that again—you have to take this seriously, especially in areas here prone to flooding.

"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.”

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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