FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced another round of financial aid for victims of the Jan. 16 tornado outbreak in Southwest Florida.
DeSantis was joined by Department of Economic Opportunity Secretary Dane Eagle, as well as Volunteer Florida CEO Corey Simon.
The governor said $1.1 million in aid was collected in contributions to an online donation portal set up in the weeks since FEMA rejected a state request for support.
“While the federal government is still considering whether or not Floridians deserve assistance, we’ve been actively working to provide relief to these survivors,” he said. “This first round of checks, in addition to the other state programs we’ve made available, will help Southwest Florida continue through the recovery process.”
43 initial applicants will be given checks in the amount of $10,000. DeSantis said applications are still being accepted for anyone who may still need help recovering from the storm damage. Residents who have not yet requested assistance but have been impacted by the Charlotte and Lee tornadoes can request assistance at FloridaDisaster.org/Assistance
The announcement was made at the Century 21 Mobile Home Park which was heavily damaged by the January tornado outbreak.
