A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis is marking progress in Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Milton, as the state moves back toward prestorm normalcy.
But there’s still a long way to go in the state’s hardest hit areas.
In Palmetto at SeaPort Manatee, DeSantis announced his goal of seeing “as minimal disruption to the supply chain as possible” with the intent to “plow a way forward” amid an estimated $200 million in damages from Hurricane Milton.
Much of that will be covered by insurance, but not all of it.
To that end, DeSantis is providing $9.5 million to “jump-start the recovery and help repair the impacted infrastructure,” which includes “$5.5 million for emergency berth repairs and dredging in state waters, $3.5 million for immediate security needs and access control and $500,000 to support planning activities for fortifying port infrastructure.”
Additionally, Florida Department of Transportation “subject matter experts” will direct the Department of Environmental Protection to “to expedite permits for the immediate rebuild of infrastructure and by managing support from (DEM) and navigating the (Federal Emergency Management Agency) award process and by providing personnel from the Florida National Guard to reestablish perimeter security and assisting and repairing the port fence.”
Stakes are high, DeSantis said, given SeaPort Manatee is the “primary deepwater seaport in Southwest Florida, and handles 400 million gallons of transportation, fuel, fruits, vegetables, appliances, construction materials, and wood for distribution across southwest Florida, but also the greater southeast,” supporting “42,000 US jobs” and having generated “$275 million in state and local revenue and contributed $7.3 billion in economic value to the economy.”
The Governor estimates that for every dollar invested in the port, 7 dollars of economic benefits are conferred to the state.
