Duval Times

Senator Rick Scott visited Fort Myers Beach in Lee County today to survey damage caused by Hurricane Helene and receive a briefing from local officials on response and recovery efforts. Accompanied by Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers, City of Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, Congressman Byron Donalds, and other emergency management officials, Senator Scott assessed the impact of the storm on the community.

Senator Scott has been maintaining regular contact with federal officials, local leaders, law enforcement, and emergency management personnel across the state to ensure that resources are available for communities affected by Hurricane Helene. He emphasized his commitment to assisting those in need through federal agencies such as FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

"While Hurricane Helene made landfall hundreds of miles north of Lee County in the Big Bend, communities here still experienced feet of devastating storm surge that caused significant damage to homes and businesses," said Senator Scott. "Many folks are still recovering from Hurricane Ian and Helene has only made that work more difficult."

He continued: "I just visited Fort Myers Beach to survey damage and receive a briefing from Sheriff Marceno and local law enforcement. My heart goes out to all the Floridians impacted by this storm and I’m working every day with local, state, and federal partners like FEMA and the SBA to coordinate resources and direct assistance to those in need. I’m grateful for the law enforcement, National Guard, emergency management officials, and first responders for their work here on the ground."

Senator Scott expressed confidence in Floridians' resilience: "Floridians are resilient, and while so many families are facing unimaginable loss, I will stand alongside them every step of the way as they recover, and I will fight for every federal resource they need to do so."

Throughout this week, Senator Scott has maintained daily communication with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) prior to Helene’s landfall. Post-landfall updates have been coordinated with FEMA. He also received briefings from law enforcement and emergency management officials in several counties including Bay, Franklin, Taylor, Levy Counties before urging residents to heed warnings.

Following a letter from Senators Scott and Marco Rubio urging President Joe Biden's immediate approval of a Major Disaster Declaration for Florida on Saturday night after Hurricane Helene’s impact was confirmed. This declaration follows last week's pre-landfall emergency declaration request approved by President Biden at Senators’ behest.

Senator Scott advises Floridians seeking information or needing assistance related to Hurricane Helene's aftermath to visit his website at www.rickscott.senate.gov/hurricane-season-resources or consult resources provided by Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org or @FLSERT.