West News Wire: As a result of floods earlier this month following record rainfall, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated on Saturday that he will seek the Biden administration to designate Broward County as a disaster region.
If approved, the declaration would make Broward residents who suffered property damage eligible for a variety of loans and other forms of aid. Also eligible would be local governments.
In some areas of the county, rain totaled more than 2 feet (0.6 metres) on April 12. In certain areas of the county, the 1-in-a-1,000-year flood left up to 3 feet (0.9 metres) of water. According to the state, 1,000 residences suffered severe damage.
The flooding also closed the airport for almost two days. Gas deliveries to the port were also slowed, causing long lines at the pump.
The Republican governor is expected to soon announce that he will seek his party’s nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in next year’s election.
While frequently sniping at each other, the Democratic president and the governor have seen their administrations work together after disasters. That includes last year’s Hurricane Ian, which killed more than 140 people and left thousands homeless, and the 2021 collapse of a condo tower in Surfside, which killed 98.
This version corrects that DeSantis said he will ask the Biden administration for disaster relief, not that he has formally asked.
