CHIPLEY, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a multimillion-dollar investment by the state for some of the state’s rural counties impacted by Hurricane Michael.
During the news conference in Washington County Thursday afternoon, the governor announced the $12 million package to help nine counties.
Jackson, Gadsden and Leon counties are set to receive funding.
Jackson County is set to receive more than $1.2 million in funding.
According to the governor’s office, $1,000,345 will go towards installing permanent generators at 12 offsite medical facilities.
A total of $233,550 will be allocated to construct a stormwater retention area to collect and drain stormwater and repave Pooser Road to mitigate future flooding.
The city of Marianna will receive $227,295 to install a permanent generator at the Marianna Health and Rehabilitation Center to allow the facility to continue care for its senior citizens during power outages in Jackson County.
The town of Alford in Jackson County will receive $102,615 to stabilize roadsides and ditches to mitigate future flooding.
The town of Sneads in Jackson County will receive $47,713 install generators at two wells to maintain the ability to provide potable water during power outages and $125,841 to install permanent generators to keep the town’s lift stations operational in the event of a power outage.
Gadsden County’s town of Greensboro will receive $58,516 to install generators at three water wells and the fire station to maintain operation during power outages.
Midway will receive $33,170 to install multiple permanent generators to provide a source of backup power at several locations in Gadsden County.
The city of Tallahassee in Leon County will receive $125,000 to install a permanent generator at Jack McLean Community Center to allow the facility to operate as a shelter for disaster events.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to award $12 million across the Panhandle to continue supporting the continuing recovery and community resiliency efforts," DeSantis said a statement. "We will continue to look for ways to assist our rural communities rebuild stronger than before and we recognize that a storm of the magnitude of Hurricane Michael requires a long-term commitment.”
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Michael was a category 5 tropical cyclone that made landfall near Mexico Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base in Bay County, Florida on Oct. 10, 2018.
The National Hurricane Center estimated the storm caused $25 billion in damage in the United States and led to 16 deaths.
