President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida, ordering federal assistance to bolster state, tribal, and local response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Debby.
Hurricane Debby made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend coast on Monday as a Category 1 storm, bringing significant flooding and widespread power outages. The storm, which has since moved toward Georgia and South Carolina, is expected to cause catastrophic flooding throughout the week.
As the fourth named storm in what is anticipated to be a historic hurricane season, Debby hit the coastal town of Steinhatchee at 7 a.m. on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
State officials have reported severe flooding and substantial storm surges as Debby moved inland. The storm’s hurricane-force winds extended over 25 miles from its eye, uprooting trees and toppling utility poles, which resulted in more than 250,000 homes and businesses losing power across northern Florida. Forecasters have warned that Debby’s winds could spawn tornadoes and that storm surges could reach up to 10 feet in some areas.
“This is a life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center cautioned.
Debby is forecasted to move slowly across northern Florida, bringing “potentially historic heavy rainfall” of up to 20 inches in southeast Georgia and parts of South Carolina. The National Hurricane Center has issued a warning of a “major flood threat” in the Southeast, stating, “There is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline.”
Emergency funding for Florida
President Biden’s declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. The goal is to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency, provide necessary assistance to save lives, protect property and public health, and mitigate the threat of a catastrophe.
Federal funding at 75 percent will be available for Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, evacuation, and shelter support, for the following counties: Alachua, Baker, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Monroe, Nassau, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Wakulla.
Additionally, 75 percent federal funding for direct assistance will be available for the counties of Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, DeSoto, Escambia, Flagler, Gadsden, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, Volusia, Walton, and Washington.
