Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Miami-Dade County is receiving $78.1 million for Hurricane Irma recovery. This funding is awarded by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) to reimburse the county for debris removal in the months following Hurricane Irma’s landfall in Florida.
“Today, we are taking yet another significant step forward for hurricane recovery in Florida,” said Governor DeSantis. “When I took office, I made a commitment that Northwest Florida and every community impacted by recent hurricanes will make a full recovery. I’m proud that today we are continuing to honor that commitment by providing this funding to Miami-Dade County.”
“Florida has been severely impacted over the past several years due to devastating hurricanes. This critical funding provided by FEMA and FDEM is imperative for continued recovery efforts in Miami-Dade County after Hurricane Irma,” said Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “Our administration continues to make good on our promises and this $78 million will provide much needed relief.”
“When I took over at FDEM, Governor DeSantis directed me to speed up the reimbursement process to make sure that Florida counties and cities received the money they are owed,” said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. “Cities and counties have waited too long to replenish their reserves or repay loans from Irma but with today’s announcement we are showing that the Governor’s policies are working and funding has been accelerated.”
In January, FDEM implemented new procedures to accelerate FEMA reimbursements to communities impacted by hurricanes Irma, Matthew and Hermine. Previously, the Division required projects to be 100-percent validated before any funding was awarded. Under the new process, half of the funds are awarded when a project is 50-percent validated, while the Division continues to work with applicants to provide funding as projects continue to be validated. This process is in addition to expedited payments for communities impacted by Hurricane Michael.
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