Last week, Governor Rick Scott, who has turned down billions of dollars in federal monies for Medicaid expansion, made a request to President Barack Obama for disaster assistance in support of several counties impacted by flooding over the July 4 holiday week. An estimated $29 million of damage was caused to infrastructure across Panhandle communities when heavy rain fell the first week of July.
“The amount of rainfall caused significant damage to communities in the Florida Panhandle. Counties received damage which totals more than four times the county’s budget for roadway infrastructure for an entire year,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director (FDEM), Bryan W. Koon. “I am confident the federal government understands the financial impact this has on these communities and the importance of federal assistance to aid in the recovery.”
Bay, Holmes, Okaloosa, Walton and Washington counties received significant damage to homes, roadways, and infrastructure due to the rainfall received. Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments were conducted with representatives from the counties, the State and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The estimated damage in the five county area is nearly $30 million. In Florida, the damage threshold for federal disaster relief assistance is $25.8 million.
