Washington opened the federal spigot for the Florida Panhandle after Hurricane Sally, with a major disaster declaration making federal funding available to state, tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofits for recovery work across the region.
What the Declaration Covers
The declaration, issued Sept. 23, 2020, authorizes cost-sharing federal funding for emergency work and the repair or replacement of storm-damaged facilities in Escambia County — the area that took Sally’s worst — with all categories of public assistance. Emergency protective measures funding, Category B, extends to Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties. Hazard mitigation measures were funded statewide.
FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor named Jeffrey L. Coleman as Federal Coordinating Officer to run recovery operations in the affected areas. The declaration applied to damage from Sally’s landfall beginning Sept. 14, 2020, and continuing.
DeSantis: Critical Support for Rebuilding
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that FEMA had approved his request for the declaration. “This declaration adds all categories of public assistance for Escambia County, providing critical federal support for the long-term rebuilding efforts of this area following the severe damage and flooding that Sally left in its wake,” the governor said. “Northwest Floridians are resilient, and we will continue to work with our local and federal partners to ensure a full recovery.”
The Florida Division of Emergency Management continued damage assessments in the dozen counties that initially received only partial public assistance, and was also evaluating individual residences and businesses as the state pressed FEMA for Individual Assistance.
Separately, DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program through the Department of Economic Opportunity to give storm-affected small businesses short-term cash support while insurance and federal aid worked through their pipelines.