Joe Biden approves pre-landfall declaration request from Gov. DeSantis, ensuring federal aid as Milton looms

The federal government will pitch in as Florida digs out from what could be historic destruction in a matter of days. And the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has the money to handle it.

“I just approved an emergency declaration from the State of Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement response efforts that may arise due to emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Milton,” President Joe Biden posted on X Monday. “We expect this storm to again make landfall in western Florida and are working quickly to preposition federal response personnel and assets.”

The White House account added that there’s money for the road ahead.

“FEMA has sufficient funding to support the response to Hurricane Milton and continued response to Hurricane Helene — including funding to support first responders and provide immediate assistance to disaster survivors. The Administration has been in touch with the State of Florida and localities along the likely path of impact to ensure needs are met in advance of the storm, and the federal government is fully prepared to support affected communities wherever and whenever needed.”

Though there was little surprise that the federal government ultimately would come through, drama surrounding a seemingly slow-walked request from the state percolated Thursday, with at least one Senate staffer expressing concern over how long it was taking Gov. Ron DeSantis to formulate the request.

U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott wrote Biden late Sunday night once the request was finalized to ensure “that the state has access to the federal resources it needs is imperative to protecting Floridians, property, and our communities” and urge Biden to fulfill “DeSantis’ request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration.”

The Senators waited until the request was formalized to send the letter.

The declaration facilitates help with emergency protective measures and federal aid for initial response and recovery efforts via FEMA.

During a press conference Monday afternoon, DeSantis acknowledged the partially fulfilled request, saying he expected the full request to be approved soon.