Florida Gov. Rick Scott has fired off a letter objecting to the Obama administrations rejection of disaster relief for the Sunshine State from Hurricane Isaac and upped the states request by adding additional expenses to the cost of the storm.
Scott also directed the state Department of Emergency Management to formally appeal the denial.
In addition to the seven original counties requested, the appeal will also include Broward, Franklin and Martin counties, where estimated damage is now nearly $10 million, Scott wrote Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate.
This brings the total statewide initial damage figure for the 10 counties to $36.7 million.
The state had initially requested $26.8 million in aid for damages, mostly due to flooding, in Bay, Collier, Escambia, Monroe, Okaloosa, Palm Beach and Santa Rosa counties.
Fugate sent Scott a letter Wednesday indicating the state should be able to handle the flooding and damages from the August storm.
Based on our review of all of the information available, it has been determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments, Fugate wrote. Accordingly, we have determined that supplemental federal assistance is not necessary.
The federal rejection came despite letters to President Obama on Sept. 12 backing the states request for a major disaster declaration from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, and U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar.
Floridas county-by-county relief request
Bay: $2,968,392.
Collier: $1,331,371.
Escambia: $10,422,367.
Monroe: $888,098.
Okaloosa: $4,050,000.
Palm Beach: $6,017,636.
Santa Rosa: $1,201,000,
Broward: $6,117,418.
Franklin: $139,086.
Martin: $3,570,875.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry also called out President Obama for the relief rejection on Thursday.
"Earlier this week we learned that President Obama 'believes in redistribution,' but this doesn't seem to apply to Florida or the victims of Hurricane Isaac, Curry stated in a release.
Today it was reported that his administration denied Governor Scott's request on behalf of Florida for a federal disaster declaration, effectively cutting our state off from much needed FEMA aid. While the President seems to enjoy campaigning in Florida, he doesn't seem interested in the realities it's citizens face. I urge all Floridians to ask the President to "redistribute" some disaster aid to our fellow Floridians who need it today."
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
