Small towns and rural areas lead recipients of Florida’s $311 million storm recovery grants announced by Gov. DeSantis
Tallahassee, Florida – Earlier this month, Governor Ron DeSantis made a large investment to rebuild and improve Florida’s infrastructure. He awarded a total of $311 million in grants to 37 municipalities that had been hit hard by recent extreme weather. The funding package puts a lot of attention on small cities and rural counties. For example, 32 of the awards go to communities that were hit hardest by storms in 2023 and 2024.
The Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery Infrastructure Repair Program and the Rural Infrastructure Fund are the two main sources of funding. The programs are meant to assist communities get back on their feet after Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene, and Milton, as well as the tornadoes in North Florida. They also aim to make communities more resilient and ready for the economy in the long run.
The governor said that the projects will help Florida get ready for future storms and help towns that have trouble getting money for big infrastructure projects flourish. The program, which was announced during a visit to Highlands County, focuses on fixing or replacing important systems that were destroyed or overburdened during recent disasters. These include water, wastewater, transportation, and emergency services infrastructure.
“Today in Highlands County, I was proud to announce $311 million in grant awards to improve infrastructure in 37 communities across Florida impacted by the major storms of 2023 and 2024—Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene, Milton and the North Florida Tornadoes,” said Governor Ron DeSantis.
“These infrastructure projects will help make Florida more prosperous, more resilient, and better prepared to weather any storms that may come our way.”
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A large part of the money will go toward projects connected to water. Several municipalities will either fix or update their stormwater systems, wastewater treatment plants, or drinking water facilities so that they can withstand more rain and storm surges. Cities such as Arcadia, Palatka, Live Oak, and Indiantown are among those receiving financing for water storage, treatment, and transport improvements meant to reduce flooding risks and increase reliability during extreme weather events.
Other awards are for things like making sure people are safe and ready for emergencies. Columbia, Suwannee, and Union counties will utilize the money to make shelters stronger, build emergency facilities for people with special needs, and improve communication systems. There are other initiatives for transportation and access, including as fixing up bridges in Okeechobee County and replacing drainage systems at Sebring Regional Airport.
Several areas will get money for both the recovery from Hurricane Ian and the storms that came after it. Avon Park, Immokalee, and Dundee are going to do a lot of work on their old sewer and water systems that have been damaged by flooding and power outages.
At the same time, the Rural Infrastructure Fund will give out more grants to help create jobs and grow the economy in certain rural areas. Some of the projects involve fixing up airports and extending runways, building rail infrastructure in industrial parks, resurfacing roads to make them better for business centers, and extending utilities to get locations ready for future investment. State officials said that demand for these funds continues to rise, with applications considerably outnumbering the money available.
The awards are part of one of the largest recent infrastructure investments in Florida aimed at storm recovery and rural resilience. Their goal is to strengthen important systems while also setting the stage for long-term economic growth across the state.
For more information on the Rebuild Florida 2023 and 2024 Storms Infrastructure Repair Program, click here.
For more information on the Rural Infrastructure Fund, click here.
