Biden declares major disaster for Florida counties affected by Debby

President Joe Biden on Saturday approved a major disaster declaration for Florida counties affected by Hurricane Debby, including Manatee and Sarasota.

The president ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the storm.

The assistance can come in the form of grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the storm, the declaration said.

Biden’s move makes federal funding available to those affected in the following counties:

• Columbia
• Dixie
• Gilchrist
• Hamilton
• Lafayette
• Levy
• Manatee
• Sarasota
• Suwanee
• Taylor

Anyone who has losses due to Hurricane Debby in the above counties can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA app.

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