TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Recovery from a May 10 tornado outbreak has cost Florida’s capital $50 million so far, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said Friday.
Florida officials requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency declare a major disaster, which could make the local government and individuals eligible for federal assistance. FEMA has not yet approved such a declaration.
Dailey told local media outlets that the city is working with President Joe Biden’s administration and FEMA so it can be reimbursed for storm response and individuals can get help.
“That’s where we can have the greatest impact as a community and as a government, working with FEMA,” Dailey told WTXL-TV.
Dailey said the total cost to the city will increase as city workers continue to clear the debris.
The National Weather Service says six tornadoes touched down in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on May 10, including three that touched down in parts of Tallahassee. Officials say by some measures the damage is worse than recent hurricanes in the area.
Two people died in the storms from injuries caused by falling 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 continue to help residents clear debris and make repairs. Members of the Tallahassee Rotary Club on Saturday helped remove a tree from the roof of a home and cover the hole with a tarp.
“It had a limb straight through, like an eight-foot limb straight through the roof, and we were able to get it out,” said Rotary Club member Alasdair Roe. told WTXL-TV.
Leon County commissioners voted to distribute $1 million in aid to help people and businesses in areas of the county outside of Tallahassee that were affected by the storms and not covered by insurance. The program is providing up to $3,500 per household and up to $10,000 per business.
However, leaders rejected a proposal from a Leon County commissioner to give $300 discounts on electricity bills from the Tallahassee municipal utility and the Talquin Electric cooperative to people who have suffered long power outages. They told WCTV-TV that such a move would not be legal.
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