Florida Legislature prioritize Hurricane Idalia recovery efforts with a $417 million plan

James Call, Tallahassee Democrat
·2 min read
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Hurricane Idalia recovery tops the agenda for this week’s special session of the Florida Legislature.

HB 1C by Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, provides $417 million in grants, loans, and tax breaks to help Big Bend and north Florida residents who suffered losses from Hurricane Idalia to rebuild and harden their homes and businesses against future storms.

Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, filed a similar proposal in the Senate.

The two bills highlight the first day of committee meetings called by House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo to fund the recovery effort, expand the school voucher program, and respond to the conflict in the Mideast.

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Sen. Corey Simon and Rep. Jason Shoaf at the Taylor County delegation meeting in October. Hurricane Idalia came ashore in Taylor and the two lawmakers have introduced a recovery plan for the Florida Legislature to consider this week.
Sen. Corey Simon and Rep. Jason Shoaf at the Taylor County delegation meeting in October. Hurricane Idalia came ashore in Taylor and the two lawmakers have introduced a recovery plan for the Florida Legislature to consider this week.

Idalia flooded the Big Bend coast and riverbanks with a storm surge of up to eight feet when it came ashore at Keaton Beach on August 30. Winds of 125 mph then battered a dozen North Florida counties as Idalia headed toward Jacksonville and north along the Atlantic seaboard.

Residential and property damage in Florida totaled at least $216 million according to insurance claims filed. The University of Florida Food and Agriculture Sciences predicts agricultural production losses of up to $370 million.

Shoaf’s proposal provides tax exemptions for building materials, $50 million in grants to local governments for hurricane recovery, $30 million for communities to meet FEMA Public Assistance match requirements, and $25 million for a housing recovery program.

The biggest expenditure in the package is an additional $181 million for the My Safe Florida Home Program, which provides $10,000 grants to homeowners to fortify their homes.

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Hurricane Idalia destroyed the show barn at Lyons Show Pigs along with other structures on the Lyons family farm in Mayo, Florida, after it made landfall on Aug. 30, 2023. About 50 pigs were inside the barn when the hurricane hit, but all survived.
Hurricane Idalia destroyed the show barn at Lyons Show Pigs along with other structures on the Lyons family farm in Mayo, Florida, after it made landfall on Aug. 30, 2023. About 50 pigs were inside the barn when the hurricane hit, but all survived.

Applications to the program after hurricanes Ian and Nicole have created a bureaucratic logjam. More than 17,000 homeowners are waiting for their money, while another 12,000 homeowners are in line for inspections to see if they qualify.

"This disaster relief bill provides needed tax relief and addresses the current and future backlog of My Safe Florida Home applicants looking to protect their home from future storms,” said Shoaf.

Shoaf also includes $75 million to help aquaculture producers who suffered losses and $37.5 million in grants to assist timber landowners with the cleanup.

Sen Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, has filed a similar bill. His SB 2C provides for tax refunds instead of an exemption at the point of purchase. Simon would also place time and funding limits on the My Safe Home program.

Lawmakers have until Thursday to work out the differences in the two proposals.

James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and is on X as @CallTallahassee

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Special Session spotlight is on Simon and Shoaf's Idalia recovery bill