Broward County - Monday April 24, 2023: Governor DeSantis is asking the Biden Administration for a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County following the unprecedented flooding on the night of Wednesday April 12.
If granted by the White House, a Major Disaster Declaration will provide a wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure damaged by the floods.
Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie deployed a Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams to Broward County last week Monday. They have been conducting damage passements in impacted flood areas along with a Federal team. So far they have identified over 1,000 with major damage.
The Governor has already declared a State of Emergency in Broward County the day after the April 12 flooding and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) remains in communication with the areas impacted. The SERT team has deployed state resources and assistance as requested, including 1-million gallons of fuel in response to fuel distribution delays.
The Governor has also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $5 million available for businesses impacted by the flooding. Florida’s small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.
The National Weather Service in Miami issued a Flash Flood Emergency for the areas of Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood on the evening of April 12. Within a few hours the Ft. Lauderdale Airport recorded 25.91 inches of rain. In addition to the extensive flooding, the National Weather Service in Miami confirmed areas of damage were consistent with two EF-0 tornadoes in Broward County. One tornado in Dania Beach produced metal siding and roof damage through a mobile home park, and the second tornado caused tree damage near West Hollywood.