WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration in Florida due to storms, tornadoes and flooding that affected that state between April 12 and 14, the White House reported this Friday.
That declaration, which names Brett Howard as coordinator of recovery operations, orders the sending of aid from the federal government to the affected areas and especially in Broward County, in southeast Florida.
The assistance launched this Friday includes contributions for temporary housing and home repair, low-interest loans to cover losses on uninsured property, and “other programs that help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster”.
In addition, the federal government makes available to state and local authorities, along with some private non-profit organizations, resources to share the cost of repairing or replacing facilities damaged by storms and flooding in Broward.
Federal funding is also available to share the cost of hazard mitigation measures across the state.
Most of Florida has received heavy rain and hail in recent days.
The announcement coincides with forecasts of storms with lightning, hail, high winds and tornadoes from Brownsville, Texas, to the North Carolina coast over the Atlantic Ocean.
In view of the current weather forecasts, the White House statement indicates that “additional (emergency) designations may be made if requested by the state and warranted by the results of the damage assessments.”