Federal aid to Florida for recovery from Hurricane Ian has topped the $2 billion mark, Biden administration officials announced Monday, one day before the midterm elections.
Most of the money was provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. About $710 million went directly to households, and another $322 million went to the state.
The U.S. Small Business Administration furnished $631 million in disaster loans, and the National Flood Insurance Program has paid out $351 million in claims.
“When I visited Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian, I said we would be there as long as it takes to rebuild,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “That is what we’re doing.”
Biden toured the damage from the hurricane with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last month, a rare moment of detente for the two politicians. The hurricane killed more than 100 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.