Gov. Ron DeSantis' update on Florida's resources after Hurricane Milton
Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, October 16, 2024
Tallahassee, Florida — $9.5 million has been awarded to SeaPort Manatee to jumpstart its recovery and help repair impacted infrastructure due significant damage caused by Hurricane Milton. Read more at
https://www.flgov.com/2024/10/14/governor-ron-desantis-awards-9-5-million-and-other-state-assistance-to-seaport-manatee-for-repairs-after-hurricane-damage/
$500,000 was also awarded through the Florida Disaster Fund to support non-profit organizations that operate in Florida and provide free muck-and-gut services, debris removal, tarping, temporary home fixes, and other volunteer services to those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by a hurricane. $400,000 was awarded to support Florida’s first responders, who have worked tirelessly following recent storms to rescue and help people. Learn more at https://www.flgov.com/2024/10/15/governor-ron-desantis-issues-updates-on-state-response-and-recovery-efforts-for-hurricane-milton-9/.
The Florida Disaster Fund has raised more than $12.2 million since Hurricane Helene and remained activated for Hurricane Milton to provide financial assistance to Florida communities as they respond to and recover from times of emergency or disaster. To read more, visit
https://www.flgov.com/2022/10/14/first-lady-casey-desantis-highlights-success-of-florida-disaster-fund/. To contribute to the Florida Disaster Fund, visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222.
As of 3:00 pm today, approximately 51,701 Floridians are without power. The State of Florida has restored 4,118,896 accounts.
Federal Disaster Relief
Florida secured approval of a major disaster declaration for Hurricane Milton from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The declaration includes Individual Assistance and Public Assistance (Category B).
Individual Assistance, which is assistance to residents and households, is available for Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia Counties and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.
Public Assistance, which is available for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, is available for Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, Desoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance.
State Assistance Information Line
The State Assistance Information Line is now open and accepting calls 24/7 with English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole speakers available at 1-800-342-3557.
Executive Order 24-215
Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-215, amending EO 24-214 and declaring a state of emergency for 51 counties.
Navigating Hurricane Season
To learn more about navigating hurricane season, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide.
Resources, County by County
For updates on county resources available visit FloridaDisaster.org/Counties for a list of all 67 county emergency management contacts.
Gas
Learn the location of all open fuel sites at FloridaDisaster.org/Updates.
Lyft Rides
The State of Florida partnered with Lyft to provide residents in mandatory evacuation zones free rides returning home from local shelters. Lyft has activated the Lyft Up Disaster Response Program to provide free and discounted rides to help those in affected areas travel to and from designated shelters with critical resources. Riders can use code MILTONRELIEF24 for two rides up to $25 to and from state-approved shelters.
Shelters
Residents can find open shelters in their area by visiting FloridaDisaster.org/shelters.
Special Needs Shelters
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) is supporting five special needs shelters, which are accepting clients, one shelter in each of the following counties: Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota.
Temporary Roof Tarping
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District has opened Operation Blue Roof through Tuesday, November 5. Operation Blue Roof provides temporary roof tarping to impacted residents in Brevard, Citrus, Charlotte, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia counties. Residents impacted by Hurricane Milton can sign up for this no-cost service by visiting blueroof.gov or calling 888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258).
Veterans
The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (FDVA) State Veterans’ Service Officers are available to take your call at (727) 319-7440 or via email at FDVA.VSO@FDVA.FL.GOV. The VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center is operational 24/7/365 for virtual care and tele-emergency care to support Florida Veterans enrolled for VA Health Care. Call 1-877-741-3400.
Boil Water Notices
There are 156 active Boil Water Notices as a result of Hurricane Milton. A comprehensive statewide list of notices for residents to access online can be found at https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/boil-water-notices/index.html. Current boil water notices are in the following counties: Charlotte (6), Citrus (4), Collier (1), Flagler (1), Hardee (2), Hernando (6), Highlands (4), Hillsborough (28), Lake (26), Lee (3), Levy (1), Manatee (2), Marion (12), Okeechobee (1), Orange (5), Osceola (4), Pasco (12), Polk (18), Putnam (1), Sarasota (3), Seminole (1), St. Lucie (1), Sumter (7), and Volusia (7).
Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program
Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) launched the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program for Florida farmers, ranchers, and growers impacted by Hurricane Milton to apply for interest-free loans. Loans can be used by eligible agriculture and aquaculture producers to restore, repair, or replace essential physical property – including fences, equipment, greenhouses, and other buildings – or to remove vegetative debris. For details, visit
https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Agriculture-and-Aquaculture-Producers-Natural-Disaster-Recovery-Loan-Program.
Critical Assistance for Livestock and Other Animals
Agricultural partners can request critical assistance for livestock and animals in critical need, please complete this form and send it to DAIOPSAssessment@FDACS.gov, or call 863-993-5460.
Department of Children and Families (DCF)
DCF is in the process of contacting all foster families, group homes, and providers to assess for unmet needs after the storm. So far DCF has contacted families and group homes serving over 22,200 individuals and over 9,900 providers in impacted areas to ensure all children and families served are safe and to determine needs.
The Department of Children and Families has been approved to allow the purchase of hot foods with SNAP EBT benefits in Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, and Volusia counties to assist individuals affected by Hurricane Milton. This allowance is available at participating retailers in the eligible counties until November 15, 2024. To learn more, visit myflfamilies.com/Milton.
Hope Florida
The Hope Line is available to assist those in need of resources or other assistance after the storm. It is now available 24/7 for the next two-plus weeks at 833-GET-HOPE.
Activate Hope has been deployed to help connect Floridians impacted by the storm with needed resources like food, supplies, home repairs, and more. Serving as the emergency response component of the Hope Florida initiative, Activate Hope connects the private sector, nonprofits, and government to help Floridians get back on their feet following a natural disaster. Fill out the form to request help here: https://hopeflorida.com/get-help/hurricanerecovery.html.
Tolls 
Toll suspensions on facilities in West Florida and Central Florida have been extended. Specific details and facilities can be found at https://www.sunpass.com/en/common/docs/Milton-Toll-Suspension-Map-Tampa-and-Orlando-v2.pdf.
Road / Bridge Closures; Traffic Conditions
For current road and bridge closures and traffic conditions, please download the FL511 app at https://fl511.com/app, or visit FL511.com.
Drinking Water and Ice
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP's) online portal WaterTracker at https://flwatertracker.com/ is live for drinking and wastewater facilities to report their operational status.
Wawa will be distributing ice and bottled water at various store locations in impacted areas. For details, visit https://www.wawa.com/iframe/hurricane-alert.
Florida State Parks
To keep state park visitors updated of closures, visit FloridaStateParks.org/StormUpdates. Visitors with existing camping and cabin reservations at closed parks have been notified of their reservation status.
Schools
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) has worked with all impacted to school districts as students return to school following Hurricane Milton. All 50 traditional school districts closed for Hurricane Milton have reopened. For more information on school districts, state colleges, and university reopenings, visit fldoe.org/storminfo.
Florida Department of Corrections (FDC)
The Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is posting storm-related updates to fdc.myflorida.com/weather-updates.
Free Mobile Meals in Pinellas County
McDonalds has deployed its McRig mobile unit to Pinellas County, serving 6,000 free meals per day to impacted Floridians.
Volunteer Florida Partner Resources:
Disaster Legal Hotline is open to assist and refer callers: 833-514-2940.
2-1-1 is open and ready to receive calls.
Red Cross Hotline is open to assist: 1-800-Red Cross.
Crisis Cleanup number: 844-965-1386.
Volunteer opportunities are promoted through Volunteer Connect at https://www.volunteerflorida.org/volunteerconnect/.
New email for hurricane-related inquiries: hurricane@volunteerflorida.org.
Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program
The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program was activated, making $50 million available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Milton. Florida small business owners in need of assistance, including sole proprietors, are encouraged to visit www.FloridaJobs.org/EBL to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. The program provides short-term, zero-interest loans to small businesses that experienced economic injury or physical damage due to Hurricane Milton. Interested applicants can apply now through December 4, 2024, or until all available funds are expended.
Business Damage Assessment Survey
FloridaCommerce and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) activated the Business Damage Assessment Survey in response to Hurricane Milton. Business owners can self-report physical and economic damage caused by Hurricane Milton. Survey responses will allow the state to expedite Hurricane Milton recovery efforts by gathering data and assessing the needs of impacted businesses. Businesses can complete the survey online by visiting FloridaDisaster.biz and selecting “Hurricane Milton” from the dropdown menu. More than 1,900 Business Damage Assessment Surveys have been completed.
Disaster Relief Resources and Information
Florida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) has disaster relief resources and information for Floridians in need of housing options and other housing related support. For more information click here. FHFC has also activated FloridaHousingSearch.org to assist hurricane-impacted Floridians in locating an affordable rental property. This free, statewide search platform is being constantly updated to ensure all listings are accurate. Floridians can also call 1-877-428-8844.
Private Sector Hotline
FloridaCommerce activated the Private Sector Hotline at (850) 815-4925, open daily 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Inquiries may also be emailed to ESF18@em.myflorida.com. Briefings will be provided by Emergency Support Functions and private sector partners. For call information email ESF18@em.myflorida.com.
Free WiFi
Comcast has opened more than 261,000 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots in areas it serves across the state. The free and public hotspots are open for anyone to use, including non-Xfinity customers. For more information visit Finder.wifi.xfinity.com.
SpaceX has delivered another 400 Starlink kits to the state of Florida to support Hurricane Milton. SpaceX has worked with T-Mobile to active Direct to Cell satellites to provide emergency alerts for all cell phones and carriers in affected areas. SpaceX and T-Mobile have enabled basic texting (SMS) via satellite for T-Mobile users in hurricane affected areas.
Spectrum announced it will help residents stay connected by offering free, unlimited access to Spectrum Wi-Fi access points in Florida. A map of locations can be viewed at
https://www.spectrum.com/internet/wifi-access-points.
Electric Vehicle Charging
Tesla has available charging stations for those evacuating with electric vehicles available at Tesla.com/findus. The live status and availability of superchargers can also be found in the Tesla app.
Lodging
VISIT FLORIDA Emergency Accommodation Modules on Expedia - https://www.expedia.com/deals - and Priceline - https://www.priceline.com/partner/v2/florida-emergency-accommodations - are available to provide real-time hotel availability and lodging resources for impacted Floridians and visitors.
Rosen Hotels & Resorts activated its Florida Resident Distress Rates for those in the 51 counties declared as under a state of emergency by Governor Ron DeSantis.
Scenic Stays Vacation Rentals in Northwest Florida has a 35% discount with promotion code MILTON. Go to myscenicstays.com or call 850-407-2244 to book.
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort - Sandestin.com - has extended special offers for Evacuees and First Responders in need of accommodations in the event of an evacuation.