TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Division of Emergency Management have launched a donation portal to help tornado survivors in Southwest Florida.
The portal comes after the federal government denied Florida's request to provide assistance to people in Charlotte and Lee counties impacted by the Jan. 16 tornadoes. FDEM has plans to appeal the decision.
However in the meantime, the state has partnered with the Charlotte Community Foundation and set up the portal to allocate donations to those in need.
“We cannot continue waiting on the federal government to provide relief to these Floridians,” DeSantis said in a statement. “After meeting with survivors last week, it’s clear they still need our help.”
It is DeSantis' hope that the portal will "expedite assistance" to residents.
“These donations are going to directly provide assistance to our disaster survivors who need it most,” FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie said.
The state is working to connect survivors in Charlotte and Lee counties directly with the portal so that those whose homes were destroyed or received major damage can be prioritized.
All donations made through the portal are tax deductible. Disaster survivors can also individually request assistance here.