DeSantis Seeks Major Disaster Declaration From White House

Receding floodwaters surround a home on Las Olas (Spanish for "The Waves") Boulevard in the Sailboat Bend neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023. Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will ask the Biden administration to declare a major disaster for Broward County.

“Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced he will request a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County due to the catastrophic impacts of unprecedented flooding in Southeast Florida,” DeSantis’s office said in a statement. “If granted by the White House, a Major Disaster Declaration will provide a wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure damaged by the floods.”

Historic Flooding in Southeast Florida

More than 2 feet of rain fell in some parts of the county on April 12. The 1-in-1,000-year deluge left some parts of the county with up to 3 feet of water.