Duval Times

On August 10, 2024, in Washington, D.C., Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging the approval of Florida’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following Hurricane Debby. The hurricane caused severe damage throughout the state with strong winds and torrential rains impacting much of Florida's west coast and inland areas. Representatives Kat Cammack, Greg Steube, and Vern Buchanan joined Senators Scott and Rubio in this appeal.

The letter states: "We write in support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration due to Hurricane Debby, which brought hurricane force winds and torrential rains to much of Florida’s west coast through inland Florida. Hurricane Debby’s 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."

It continues: "Unfortunately, this hurricane will continue to impact the state for some time, and the full extent of flooding will not be known for a couple of weeks as Debby continues to produce rain to the north. These rains will deluge the estuaries and watersheds that feed into Florida’s rivers. Promptly 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."

The letter concludes by emphasizing Floridians' resilience: "Floridians are incredibly resilient, and with cooperation from all levels of government, we will rebuild stronger than ever. Thank you for your attention to this important matter."

Senator Scott encourages all Floridians to visit his website for hurricane preparedness resources and disaster readiness plans. Updates from the National Hurricane Center can be found at nhc.noaa.gov or @NHC_Atlantic on Twitter. Information from the Florida Division of Emergency Management is available at floridadisaster.org or @FLSERT on Twitter.

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