Biden speaks with DeSantis, approves Florida disaster declaration for Hurricane Idalia

President Biden called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday about the major disaster declaration he signed for the state in response to Hurricane Idalia.

On the call, Biden also conveyed that he “ordered all available federal resources to help with the continued response to Tropical Storm Idalia,” according to the White House.

And, it added, “the president reiterated that the people of Florida have his full support as they recover from the storm.” The major disaster declaration allows for federal funding to be available to affected individuals in the counties of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor and for additional assistance to Florida in the form of grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.