FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke Friday at a community that was severely damaged by a recent tornado in Fort Myers.
Joined by Florida Department of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, other local authorities and families impacted by the severe weather, DeSantis said he is committed to helping the communities as they continue to recover.
DeSantis says he's directing Guthrie to appeal the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) decision to deny assistance to the counties impacted.
"We're going to stay on this," DeSantis said to community members.
On Jan. 16, the Century 21 Mobile Community was hit by a strong EF-2 tornado. At least 100 homes were damaged and 30 destroyed as the tornado swept through Century 21 and other mobile home communities.
According to the governor's office, 158 homes were destroyed or "sustained major damage."
It was the strongest of four confirmed tornadoes in southwest Florida, according to National Weather Service data.
Following the storms, on Jan. 24, Florida state leaders requested aid from FEMA to help those impacted by the tornadoes. That was in addition to DeSantis declaring a state of emergency for Charlotte and Lee counties.
On Feb. 17, the governor's office said FEMA denied the state's request for individual assistance. FEMA's letter said in part "the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies."
Ed Murray, who lost his home in Charlotte County during the tornadoes, spoke Friday and described the immediate aftermath of the tornadoes. He says his home is currently resting on its roof, having been turned upside down during the storm. He also said he couldn't find his daughter for an hour or two, and it took him several hours to find his puppy.
"It was frightening," said Murray, in part. "It was the most frightening thing that has happened to me. And then to have some government agency tell you it's not a tragedy? Twenty-two years of memories, your children, your pets — all endangered — this has got to be wrong."
The governor's office said a significant percentage of the people impacted by the tornado are elderly, and many receive Social Security Income.
"It's not that easy to just pick up and move to a new home, particularly in a state like Florida where there's a lot of demand for this," DeSantis said.
“While we begin the decision appeal process, I want to reassure Floridians that the Division is committed to supporting recovery efforts,” Guthrie said in a statement. “We’ll continue to work with our local and federal partners to provide relief to impacted residents and ensure all types of disaster assistance is made available."
During the press conference, Guthrie said the appeal would be sent to FEMA in about a week.
State leaders did not mention the estimated cost of the damage caused to these communities. Leaders did say they have been and still are connecting people affected to local and state resources to get assistance.
You can watch the full press conference here:
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