Florida Requests Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Isaias; Santa Rosa County Reports Over $165 Million in Damage

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has formally requested a federal major disaster declaration for damage from Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall on October 9. According to an October 16 report by the Pensacola News Journal, the request — submitted at 8 p.m. on October 15 — seeks Individual Assistance for eight northwestern counties, including Escambia and Santa Rosa, and Public Assistance for 15 counties.

Isaias came ashore near Destin at about 9:30 p.m. on October 9 as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds near 105 mph; gusts reached 116 mph in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. In Santa Rosa County, residents have self-reported more than $165 million in private property damage across 2,500-plus reports: over 80 structures destroyed, about 300 with major damage, more than 600 with minor damage and over 2,000 affected. Property damage in the city of Milton is estimated at about $15 million, and Escambia County's public damage is preliminarily estimated at $64 million.

By October 12, more than 70% of affected power accounts had been restored, nine points of distribution were operating across four counties, and about 400 state National Guard members were supporting the response. DeSantis has said he hopes the federal government approves the declaration promptly so affected families can access direct federal assistance.

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 佛罗里达州飓风灾后清理（资料图）。图：PCHS-NJROTC／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。Hurricane debris cleanup in Florida (file photo). Photo: PCHS-NJROTC / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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