Letter to Joe Biden, President of the United States, Rubio, Scott Urge Biden to Approve Florida Request for Major Disaster Declaration in Tornadoes' Wake

Letter

Dear Mr. President:
We write in support of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's request for a major disaster
declaration due to a severe weather system in Charlotte and Lee Counties that included two
tornadoes of EF-1 and EF-2 strengths.
The catastrophic power of these tornadoes, as well as the storm's lightning, heavy rain,
and strong winds, left thousands without power and displaced at least 300 individuals from their
homes. The hundreds of homes damaged or destroyed, many of them decades old and
constructed before the implementation of modern mitigation measures, also included five
manufactured housing communities between Charlotte and Lee Counties, most of whose
residents are elderly and relying on fixed incomes. Joint preliminary damage assessments on
January 19 indicated that 86 primary residences were destroyed across the two counties, while 72
faced major damage, 68 minor damage, and 43 were otherwise affected. In the wake of these
assessments, Governor DeSantis declared a State of Emergency to release additional state
resources and personnel to respond to the disaster. However, because of the extraordinary scope
of debris still present and the extent of outstanding clean up and recovery efforts, more assistance
is still needed.
Ensuring that the state has access to the federal resources it needs is imperative to protect
Floridians, their property, and their communities. As such, we urge you to approve the State of
Florida's request for a major disaster declaration and Individual Assistance, subject to all
applicable laws and regulations, which will provide the assistance necessary to ensure the safety
of our state.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,

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