FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Broward County, making federal money available for those impacted by the historic flooding earlier this month.
The White House announced Friday that Biden approved the request from Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Biden's action makes Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance and federal funding available for those Broward County residents and businesses adversely impacted by the record rainfall in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding communities from April 12-14.
Residents whose homes were damaged could receive grants for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
Florida emergency management assessment teams identified more than 1,000 homes with major damages.
Flooding transformed the runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport into a river, forcing it to close for more than a day until the water had receded. It also made highways and roadways impassable to vehicles and caused significant damage to Fort Lauderdale City Hall.
Mayor Dean Trantalis was in Washington this week advocating for federal assistance on behalf of the city.
