TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Recovery from a series of May 10 tornadoes has cost Florida’s capital nearly $50 million so far, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said.
Florida officials requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declare a major disaster, which could make the local government and its residents eligible for federal assistance. FEMA has not approved such a declaration.
Dailey told local press that the city is working with President Joe Biden’s government and FEMA to be reimbursed for the costs of responding to the storm and for those affected to receive help. “That’s how we can have the biggest impact as a community and government: by working with FEMA,” Dailey told the television station WTXL-TV.
Dailey added that the city will see the total cost increase as city workers continue to clean up the debris.
The National Weather Service said six tornadoes hit the northwest panhandle of Florida and Alabama on May 10, including three that hit parts of Tallahassee. Officials said that by some measures, the damage is worse than that caused by recent hurricanes in the area.
Volunteers continue to help
Two people died in the storms from injuries caused by fallen trees, a 47-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl..
The storm damaged Florida A&M University, Florida State University and other schools.
Volunteers continued to help residents clear debris and make repairs. Members of the Rotary Club of Tallahassee helped remove a tree from the roof of a house and cover the hole with a tarp.
“There was a branch going through it, about an 8-foot branch going through the roof and we were able to get it out,” Rotary Club member Alasdair Roe told WTXL-TV.
Leon County commissioners voted to distribute $1 million to help people and businesses in areas outside Tallahassee County that were affected by the storms and were not covered by insurance. The program will offer $3,500 per home and up to $10,000 per business.
Source: AP Agency
