If the request is approved, the federal government would pay 75% of eligible costs for debris removal and other recovery work, DeSantis said. The state or city would split the other 25%.
“This is a step that we need to do in order to unlock support from FEMA,” DeSantis said.
The request was submitted at 8 p.m. Oct. 15 and seeks two kinds of aid.
The first is public assistance for 15 counties, including Santa Rosa and Okaloosa, that reimburses local governments for eligible costs, such as debris removal, emergency protective measures and road repair.
Individual assistance, the second ask, goes directly to residents whose homes or property were damaged. The state is seeking it for Santa Rosa County, along with Escambia, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Holmes and Washington counties.
Debris removal is likely going to be the largest expense, DeSantis said, as the storm brought down more trees than other storms in recent history.
DeSantis noted that storm costs can overwhelm small local governments, pointing to Mexico Beach after Hurricane Michael in 2018. The city had an annual budget of $3 million and debris costs of $100 million.
“How are you going to pay that, right? So that’s why you have these programs,” he said.
However, the approval of the declaration is now up to President Donald Trump, with DeSantis saying the process isn’t automatic.
The state must document the extent of the damage and show the impact was severe. A deadline of 30 days would be set after the disaster to file. Florida filed its request in the past week.
For residents, individual help can cover temporary housing, home repairs, property and other disaster-related expenses. What applicants receive depends on which programs are green-lit and eligibility.
DeSantis added that FEMA would not replace an uninsured home outright, though some residents may qualify for a lump-sum payment.
If the request is approved, FEMA will open online registration, and staff will be seen in the community. DeSantis noted the process can be difficult and urged residents to photograph and document damage.
While the federal request is pending, the state has partnered with the nonprofit Emergency RVs to place trailers on the property of residents whose homes are unlivable. According to Santa Rosa County, 60 structures were destroyed, with 300 receiving major damage.
Residents who think they may qualify can submit a form on emergencyrv.org.
