Governor Ron DeSantis and FDEM Announce $18.5 Million for Bay County Hurricane Recovery

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 19 -- Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, issued the following news release:

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that following President Donald Trump's commitment to federally fund 100 percent of the first 45 days of Hurricane Michael recovery, Bay County is receiving $18.5 million in recovery funding. These funds will be used to reimburse Bay County for removing 2.3 million cubic yards of debris in the 45 days following Hurricane Michael's landfall.

This is also the first Bay County project reimbursed under the Florida Division of Emergency Management's (FDEM) expedited reimbursement process, which FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz put in place at the direction of Governor DeSantis. Due to Governor DeSantis securing 45 days of 100 percent federal reimbursement, the state of Florida and Bay County are saving $4.6 million in taxpayer dollars. This funding is flowing as fast as possible to help Northwest Florida recover from Hurricane Michael.

"When I took office, I made a commitment to the people of Bay County that we would make sure they rebuild stronger than before," said Governor DeSantis. "Today, we are continuing to deliver on that commitment. I'm going to keep looking at every option available and every program at my disposal to make sure the state is doing everything possible for the people of Northwest Florida."

In January, FDEM announced that, under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the division was putting in place an expedited process to accelerate funding for Northwest Florida communities impacted by Hurricane Michael. Activating this process will get funds to affected communities more quickly by providing 50 percent of estimated project costs up front and requiring less initial review.

"At the Florida Division of Emergency Management, we are leaving no stone unturned as we work to get funding out as quickly as possible to Northwest Florida cities and counties impacted by Hurricane Michael," said FDEM Director Jared Moskowitz. "Today's announcement is yet another example of the progress we're already making toward recovering from this storm under Governor DeSantis' leadership."

In January, Governor DeSantis announced that President Donald Trump granted his request for 45 days of 100% federal cost share for Hurricane Michael debris removal and emergency protective measures. Prior to Governor DeSantis securing this commitment, the federal government had only granted five days of 100% cost share. For more on that announcement, click HERE (https://www.flgov.com/2019/01/24/governor-ron-desantis-announces-additional-federal-reimbursement-for-florida-panhandle/).

Last week, Governor DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to provide an additional extension of debris removal to continue to ensure the residents of Northwest Florida receive the necessary support and assistance as they recover from Hurricane Michael. For more details about that announcement, click HERE (https://www.flgov.com/2019/04/10/governor-ron-desantis-calls-on-fdot-to-extend-deadline-for-hurricane-michael-debris-removal/).