TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Lawmakers may still have the budget to tackle, but one of the bills shaped by “learning” and “learnings” from Hurricane Helen and Milton is now heading to the governor’s desk.
Senate Bill 180 addresses issues such as permitting, promotion, expansion and preparation for expansion at the local level, ensuring that local governments are responsible for and maintain better equipment for future storms.
Many lawmakers contributed to the bill, bringing insights and experience from across the state.
“When we had a lot of debris, many of our municipalities didn’t have a debris management site. Many of these communities had no emergency management plans, so they thought it had never happened to us and that was not a requirement.”
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Cross said her district was heavily affected by rainfall, flooding and extreme winds, leading to incidents in which a large crane fell on a downtown building.
“I hope we don’t have to come back next year at 2.0, but I know that this room will do everything we can to learn lessons from our community and make the state safer and more resilient each year,” Cross said.
The bill is divided into clause permits and restructuring, including allowing homeowners to promote and expand their homes. We also require that all local governments have pre-approved debris management sites.
“The bill is intended to help future people who are having the darkest time, as they unfortunately know that they will continue to have hurricanes,” said Rep. Will Robinson (R-Bradenton).
Six months after the Hurricane hit, Floridians find themselves still in the phase of reconstruction and recovery.
“The Hurricane felt personally to me, but when our phone reception came back and we started reuniting with you all in the next few days, I realized that not only Milton, but Debbie and Helen had an impact on us all in many ways.”
Lawmakers shared the challenges faced by community members after enduring catastrophic personal losses and how SB 180 is trying to address issues such as emergency planning and response at the local level.
“I was driving down the window, I think it was the only one on the island. I couldn’t find the road and looked at this woman in the distance. As I was close to her, I noticed half of her clothes were outside.
The bill’s sponsors say these efforts will force local governments to improve coordination and planning.
“We don’t put local governments in bad places, this is about hurricane recovery, which is to ensure that local governments do not ban them in any way or form.
Lawmakers see this as a major step forward, but hopefully they will learn more as they head into the next hurricane season. This means that more can be added to the building package in future sessions.
