FloridaCommerce OKs funding for 19 municipalities impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022

Hurricane Ian couldn’t stop Florida from having a strong month of revenues.

It may have been more than two years ago when Hurricane Ian ripped through Southwest Florida, but work and funding to help repair the costliest hurricane in Florida history goes on.

FloridaCommerce announced the agency is distributing another $2.9 million to pay for projects that are designed to help in the recovery from that hurricane that hit the Sunshine State on Sept. 28, 2022. The projects targeted for the funding are in 19 communities. Total damage caused by Ian was estimated to exceed $112 billion, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The latest projects set for the funding are part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hurricane Ian Hazard Mitigation Program. The program also requires funding to be matched by the local municipalities up to 25%.

The funding is designed to build, rehabilitate and expand infrastructure services that need support or recovery in the municipalities that were heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian.

“Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ leadership, FloridaCommerce continues to prioritize funding impactful projects that support recovery efforts and harden infrastructure in Florida’s most vulnerable communities,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly. “In the wake of Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton (in 2024), it has never been more important to fund projects that help communities recover from and build resiliency against possible future storms.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant and Disaster Recovery Program is the federal agency that’s allocating the funding to Florida.

The municipalities and projects slated for the funding include:

— Arcadia for the installation of a permanent generator.

— Eagle Lake for the installation of a permanent generator.

— Lake Wales for the installation of a permanent generator.

— Longwood for the design and construction of a flood control structure.

— Marathon for stormwater management improvements.

— Palm Coast for sanitary sewer protection measures.

— St. Petersburg for the installation of a permanent generator.

— Wauchula for the installation of a permanent generator.

— Winter Springs for the design and construction of a community safe room and installation of a permanent generator in a critical facility.

— DeSoto County Board of County Commissioners for the installation of a permanent generator in two critical facilities.

— Greater Naples Fire Rescue District for the repair and hardening of an existing critical facility.

— Hardee County Board of County Commissioners for the installation of a permanent generator in two critical facilities.

— Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Inc. for the repair and hardening of an existing critical facility.

— Lake County Board of County Commissioners for stormwater management improvements.

— Lake County Schools for the installation of a permanent generator in a critical facility.

— Manatee County Board of County Commissioners for the installation of a permanent generator in a critical facility.

— Okeechobee County Board of County Commissioners for the design and construction of stormwater management improvements.

— Putnam County Board of County Commissioners for the installation of a permanent generator in a critical facility.

— Town of Howey-in-the-Hills for infrastructure protection measures.