Hurricane Recovery

Over the weekend, Risan Ford's family walked miles to find cell reception to call her. They described communities without water, electricity or phone service.

The Floridians were in Jamaica when the island nation was hit by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

The overall bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed earlier this year included a series of measures aimed at helping the state recover from three hurricanes that made landfall in 2025.

On "Florida Matters: Live & Local," the founder of the Tampa-based Grey Bull Rescue, Bryan Stern, explained from the Caribbean how he believes the death toll from the hurricane will be large and that survivors will be left with the remains of damaged homes.

Sunrise St. Pete housing programs will prioritize the lowest-earning storm victims.

The DeSantis administration has since targeted local sustainability and resilience policies. Now local governments and other detractors are firing back with litigation.

Council members unanimously accepted the U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant and have already appropriated $13 million.

Said Don Ferguson, 71: "I'm so tired of working. This is supposed to be my retirement years, and I'm working harder now than I worked at work."

The county received $210 million in Community Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for long-term recovery efforts following last year's hurricanes.

Suwannee County was the hardest hit during Helene, said Christa Court, director of UF/IFAS' Economic Impact Analysis Program.

The city must fix the stadium under its 30-year contract with the Rays that runs through 2028. Council members voiced concerns about the price spikes, with the cost reaching just under$60 million.

The Senior Disaster Support Program is designed to empower seniors across the Tampa Bay region through hurricane preparation and recovery.