Tampa Bay communities are among the biggest beneficiaries after Florida secured nearly $500 million in additional FEMA disaster recovery funding, building on the $1.5 billion Sen. Ashley Moody announced in May and bringing the state's total to nearly $2 billion.
The latest:
Moody said the newly released funds will support more than 500 recovery projects statewide, many tied to hurricanes and severe storms that battered Florida in recent years.
For Tampa Bay, the new funding includes:
- Pinellas County: $16.5 million for repairs to Tropicana Field.
- Sarasota County: More than $13.4 million for county recovery projects, emergency sheltering operations and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport repairs.
- Pasco County: More than $7.2 million for emergency power restoration, sheriff's office response costs and infrastructure repairs in Zephyrhills.
- Manatee County: More than $6 million for Port Manatee facilities and Anna Maria City Pier repairs.
- Polk County: More than $8 million for electrical systems, emergency response costs and facility recovery projects.
By the numbers:
The Tampa Bay region is slated to receive more than $50 million from the latest funding release alone.
What they're saying:
Moody said Florida has been waiting years for some of the disaster assistance and that she worked with federal officials to release the funding.
The bottom line: The headline may be Florida's additional $500 million FEMA windfall, but the local impact is significant. From Tropicana Field and Port Manatee to county emergency operations and utility infrastructure, Tampa Bay governments are receiving a sizable share of the newly unlocked recovery dollars.
