Trump official assures DeSantis help on the way to storm-battered Panhandle
Perdue said that "jump teams" of federal agriculture officials will soon be dispatched to counties hit by Hurricane Michael to assist residents seeking aid, while debris removal remains a focus as the threat of summer wildfires looms.
Acknowledging frustration among residents and farmers, who've been awaiting federal help for eight months, Perdue said the government plans to move swiftly now that money is in hand.
PHOTO GALLERY: THEN and NOW: Hurricane Michael six months later
"We expect this to be weeks, not months," Perdue said about when aid teams will be in place to help inspect damage and help communities and residents complete paperwork for farm loans, community grants and funding to help flood prevention efforts.
Hurricane Michael's Category 5, 155 mph winds damaged homes and businesses across a 10-county area last October, destroyed 2.8 million acres of timber and left 72 million tons of wood on the ground.
With summer heat rising, some 233 communities across the eastern
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"That's something that we've been working on with the federal government," DeSantis said, following a breakfast meeting at the
"I know the president understands that risk, and that's something we're very concerned about," he said.
State Rep.
"We have a significant issue as it relates to their flooding," Trumbull said, adding the region's "needs are vast."
The aid package was delayed for months because of partisan infighting, some of it spawned by Trump's own resistance to assistance amounts aimed at
In the end,
"You've got bosses at the ballot box back in your districts and we need to hear what they're saying and we want to do this as expeditiously as possible," Perdue told officials at Friday's meeting.
In
But damage to forests and crops is severe and the recovery could take years, officials said. Almost
Florida Agriculture Commissioner
"This is not a D or an R issue. This is about the citizens of our state," Fried told Perdue. "And you'll see as you go through this, they don't really care about the partisan politics behind this, which has been frustrating so many of us."
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