Florida is shifting nearly 3,000 workers toward debris removal as the recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton picks up steam, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday.
“We’ve got a lot of work left to do, but I think the debris mission is something that is important,” DeSantis said during a news conference in Treasure Island, a city on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico that has been battered by both recent hurricanes.
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DeSantis cautioned that debris removal could take up to a year but said the state would try to make as much progress as possible because President Joe Biden has approved of 100% reimbursements for that effort during that time.
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“The (removal of) debris has to be 24/7 over this 90-day period,” DeSantis said while speaking next to a pile of furniture, lumber and other debris. “That’s the way you get the job done.”
Florida National Guard officials said Sunday that they've cleared 2,041 miles of road and 5,296 cubic yards of debris.
The state has also worked to ease a fuel shortage that has resulted in long lines at gas stations. DeSantis announced nine sites where residents can get 10 gallons each for free.
Crews were also still working to restore power to Florida residents. Around 818,000 Floridians remained without power as of 3 p.m. on Sunday, DeSantis said.
Power had been restored to around 3.25 million accounts.
