DeSantis seeks ‘major disaster’ declaration from Trump post-Isaias

Florida has asked for a major disaster declaration from the White House a week after Hurricane Isaias tore through a swath of the Panhandle and was blamed for six deaths.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that state officials had made the request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency the night before — a step the governor noted would “unlock support” for federal reimbursements to local governments as well as aid to individuals dealing with damaged or destroyed homes and businesses.

“Look, you got to jump through bureaucratic hoops with this process. It’s just is what it is. And our folks did that very, very well. And so, that was submitted last night. They have it and we expect a decision on that very, very, quickly,” DeSantis said.

To justify federal assistance, state and local officials generally must conduct a preliminary damage assessment of the magnitude of destruction and unmet needs of individuals, businesses, the public sector, and the community as a whole, according to federal regulations.

The governor didn’t share any of those details during a press conference in Milton, where he announced the request.

The Division of Emergency Management, which submitted the request to FEMA, didn’t respond to the Phoenix’s request for the information.

Hurricane Isaias rose quickly out of the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Destin on Oct. 9 as a Category 2 storm. Initially, state officials worried about damage from storm surge but DeSantis has noted it was wind that had caused the most destruction, toppling trees and downing power lines.

The damage from Isaias, however, must be severe enough that the situation is “beyond the capability” of the state and local governments to absorb and that “supplemental federal emergency assistance is necessary to save lives and protect property, public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster,” according to the FEMA website.

The 15 counties that could qualify for public assistance if approved by President Donald Trump are Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.

People who experienced damage to their homes in the following eight counties could qualify for  individual assistance: Bay, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, and Washington.