Bill Nelson: “Florida was hit by four hurricanes in 2005, a devastating year for killer storms. Starting with Delmis in July, followed…”

“Florida was hit by four hurricanes in 2005, a devastating year for killer storms. Starting with Delmis in July, followed by Katrina in August, Rita in September, and finishing with Wilma in October, when the hurricane season finally ended, 39 of Florida's 67 counties had been declared Federal disaster areas. In the aftermath, 40,000 roofs were repaired by the Army Corps; ``Blue Roof' program and approximately 3,000 temporary trailers were used as housing for Floridians left homeless by the storms. While I am emely appreciative of the assistance extended to Florida by this body, today I joined Senators Cornyn and Hutchison of Texas and Senator Landrieu of Louisiana on an amendment to H.R. 4939, the supplemental appropriations bill, which ensures no State will receive an allocation ofless than 3.5 percent of the $5.2 billion included in this bill for disaster Community Development Block Grant funds. This is extremely important to the panhandle of Florida because the last suppemental appropriation bill of fiscal year 2006 did not include Hurricane Dennis. After Dennis made landfall, 27 percent or over 12,000 homes were damaged in Santa Rosa County the same region decimated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Escambia County suffered $73.8 million in damages from Dennis. Franklin County's oyster beds and processing plant were nearly destroyed. Parts of Wakulla County were left under water by storm surges of more than 10 feet.…”