Recovery from a May 10 tornado outbreak has cost Florida's capital city $50 million so far, Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said Friday.
Florida officials have requested that the Federal Emergency Management Agency declare a major disaster, which could make local government and individuals eligible for federal assistance. FEMA has not yet approved such a declaration.
Dailey told local news outlets that the city is working with President Joe Biden's administration and FEMA so it can be reimbursed for storm response and individuals can get aid.
“That’s where we can be the most impactful as a community and a government, is working with FEMA,” Dailey told WTXL-TV.
Dailey said the total cost to the city will increase as city workers continue cleaning up debris.
Various local volunteer groups have been working to help the recovery process.
Alistair Rowe and a small group from the Tallahassee Rotary Club were helping residents of several hard-hit neighborhoods clean up mounds of storm debris.
"As a community, we either pay it forward or pay it back."
But the task remains daunting, with tens-of-thousands of tons of storm debris still on the ground. Rowe says many more volunteers are needed to help speed the process.
"It we can get everybody out helping, we can recover and be more resilient for the next storms that hit us."
The National Weather Service says six tornadoes struck the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on May 10, including three that hit parts of Tallahassee. Officials say that by some measures, the damage is worse than recent hurricanes in the area.
Two people died in the storms from injuries caused by falling trees, a 47-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl.
The storm damaged Florida A&M University, Florida State University and other schools.
Leon County commissioners voted to distribute $1 million in aid to help people and businesses in areas of the county outside Tallahassee who were affected by the storms and not covered by insurance. The program is providing up to $3,500 per household and up to $10,000 per business.
However, leaders have rejected a proposal by a Leon County commissioner to give $300 rebates on electric bills from Tallahassee’s city utility and the Talquin Electric cooperative to people who experienced lengthy power outages. They told WCTV-TV that such a move wouldn't be legal.
WFSU staff writer Tom Flanigan contributed to this report.
