Duval Times

Following the impact of hurricanes Helene and Debby, Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio have reached out to Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The senators sent a letter urging her to expedite reimbursements to provide necessary budget relief to local governments in Florida facing imminent budget deficits due to pending reimbursements from previous hurricanes. They emphasized that without FEMA's reimbursements, disaster recovery efforts could be disrupted.

The senators stated: “Dada la devastación en Florida, los déficits presupuestarios municipales podrían exacerbar aún más los desafíos que enfrentan nuestras comunidades. La entrega de los reembolsos pendientes de FEMA por los costos asociados con las tormentas pasadas ayudará a proporcionar las flexibilidades presupuestarias necesarias para una respuesta sólida a Helene. Gracias por su atención a este importante asunto.”

Senator Scott encourages Floridians needing assistance with federal agencies like FEMA and SBA or any other federal matters while recovering from Hurricane Helene to contact his office at www.rickscott.senate.gov/contact/casework. Additional resources and information on hurricane response and recovery can be found at www.rickscott.senate.gov/hurricane-season-resources or through the Florida Division of Emergency Management at floridadisaster.org or @FLSERT.