Six additional Florida counties to receive FEMA aid in Hurricane Idalia’s wake

Jewell Baggett stands beside a Christmas decoration she recovered from the wreckage of her mother’s home, as she searches for anything salvageable from the trailer home her grandfather had acquired in 1973 and built multiple additions on to over the decades, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., after the passage of Hurricane Idalia.

Just because Florida’s Governor won’t see the President today doesn’t mean the feds aren’t helping Florida.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Saturday that six new counties have been added by the federal government to the Major Disaster Declaration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after Hurricane Idalia.

This brings the total to 13 counties, more than half of the 25 DeSantis seeks assistance for.

Columbia, Gilchrist, Hernando, Jefferson, Madison, and Pasco counties were added in the Saturday announcement, joining Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor, announced earlier this week.

Residents can apply for Individual Assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov.

Those counties with needs the Governor identified, but did not get included yet, are Alachua, Baker, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hillsborough, Manatee, Marion, Pinellas, Sumter, Union and Wakulla counties.

This aid is becoming a yearly ritual. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) counted $5.5 billion in total federal support to Florida to help with Hurricane Ian recovery, including $1 billion given to 350,000 survivors of last year’s disaster that came ashore as a Category 4 storm in the southwestern part of the state.

Federal aid for recovery from Idalia’s destruction is likely to be notably less than what was given for Ian’s recovery, considering Wednesday’s storm was a Category 3 and landed in the Big Bend, which is less populated than where Ian touched down.

DeSantis requested all categories of aid — some going to local governments and nonprofits, as well as the state and individuals, “because the severity and destruction of Idalia extends well beyond the capability of the state of Florida and affected tribal and local governments in Florida,” DeSantis’ letter read.

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Anne Geggis contributed reporting.