Florida asks Trump for flood aid as families in 2,000 damaged Brevard homes wait

Florida has formally asked the federal government for a major disaster declaration for communities hit by flooding in Central and South Florida. The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced Monday, Nov. 9, that it filed the request at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis ¹. The state did not say which counties are included or what kinds of help it wants. No aid can flow until Washington approves the request ¹.

The request comes a week after heavy rain swamped the state. On Nov. 2, DeSantis declared a state of emergency for seven counties: Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie, Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands ¹¹. County officials say the rain damaged more than 2,000 homes in Brevard County alone ². In Martin County, 66 homes were damaged, and 25 of them were destroyed ¹.

Families paying out of pocket

In Palm Bay, Dale Johnson said 12 inches of floodwater swept through his home. It ruined family heirlooms and his late father's belongings ². He and his 83-year-old mother live on fixed incomes. They are paying for an extended-stay room and covering replacement costs while they wait for insurance money ². "Where's the federal resources? Where are the state resources?" he asked ².

Another Palm Bay resident, Ashley Banks, said her family is struggling to pay for cleanup, basic needs and missed work. "We're desperate for FEMA," she said ³. In Martin County, residents say neighbors, churches and donations have done most of the work of helping them so far ¹.

From Channel GOP60 Minutes presses Trump on missing health planDonald Trump · 18K plays · captioned, with the source named

No one else has really helped us. I mean, we've all been helping ourselves.

Brevard County has opened two resource centers, both open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. One is the Tony Rosa Community Center at 1502 Port Malabar Rd. in Palm Bay. The other is the Veterans Memorial Complex at 2285 Minton Rd. in West Melbourne ³. Staff from the American Red Cross, community legal services, several state agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are on site ³. Businesses can report damage at FloridaDisaster.biz by selecting "2026 Fall Flooding" ⁵.

How the approval process works

A major disaster declaration is what opens up the large federal programs. Individual Assistance helps households directly. Public Assistance repays state and local governments for work like debris removal and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure ⁴⁷.

To get there, local officials first finish their damage counts. Then FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the state do joint damage assessments. The governor sends the request to FEMA, and FEMA and the president make the final decision ². A Palm Bay emergency official said Brevard must show at least $3 million in damage from the rain, and the state as a whole must show at least $42 million ².

Moody touts older money

Also on Monday, Sen. Ashley Moody announced more than $2.5 billion in FEMA funds for Florida. The money covers more than 500 public assistance projects, and some communities have been waiting for it since 2017 ⁴⁵. Her office did not say whether any of it covers the November flooding, and it gave no timeline for when the money will arrive ⁵.

These are funds that communities have been waiting on for years. Our work is not done.

A fast track for some states

Florida's last request moved fast. Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin as a Category 2 storm on Oct. 9 ⁸. On Oct. 16, DeSantis announced a request for Public Assistance in 15 Northwest Florida counties and Individual Assistance in eight ⁷. "We will be doing everything we can to help these families rebuild their homes," he said ⁷. President Trump announced his approval on Oct. 27 ⁸. By Nov. 9, FEMA had approved more than $34 million for storm victims in the Panhandle ⁶.

That matters because not every state gets that speed. An E&E News review of about 2,500 disaster declarations found that in his second term, Trump approved 23% of disaster requests from states with a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators. He approved 89% of requests from states with a Republican governor and two Republican senators ⁹. On average he took 80 days to act on requests from Democratic-led states, compared with 39 days for Republican-led states ⁹. In his first term, the approval rates were 93% for Democratic-led states and 89% for Republican-led states ⁹.

Denials have climbed overall. In 2025 the administration denied 26% of requests for major disaster declarations. That is more than double the rate of the year before and well above the 20-year average of 15% ¹⁰. In Michigan, four tornadoes killed four people in March 2026, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's request for aid and her appeal were both denied ¹⁰. FEMA also owes local governments almost $10 billion for recovery work they have already paid for ¹⁰.

Never in my lifetime has a president treated disaster relief as a political cudgel

The White House rejects that charge. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump gives disaster requests "a more thorough review" than past administrations did ⁹.

There is no politicization to the President's decisions on disaster aid.

The E&E News findings suggest disaster aid now depends more on decisions made in the White House than on FEMA's damage formulas. Former officials told E&E News that, in the past, the formula was usually what decided the outcome ⁹. Flooded families on the Treasure Coast and Space Coast should get a fair, fast answer. So should families in Michigan, Illinois or Washington state. The next step to watch is whether FEMA and the state finish their joint damage assessments and how long Washington then takes to decide.

The Record

1. Oct 9, 2026Hurricane Isaias makes landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm ⁸
2. Oct 16, 2026DeSantis announces Florida's request for a major disaster declaration after Isaias ⁷
3. Oct 27, 2026Trump announces approval of Florida's Isaias disaster declaration ⁸
4. Nov 2, 2026DeSantis declares a flooding state of emergency in seven counties, including Brevard and Martin ¹¹
5. Nov 9, 2026Florida submits a major disaster declaration request for the Central and South Florida flooding ¹

Free to reprint Republish this story on your site or in your newsletter

Any site, blog or newsletter may run this story free of charge. Keep the credit line and its link to the original, do not sell it, and edit only for length or house style (the full terms). Photos carry their own licenses, noted under each photo on this page, so use the text alone unless a credit says otherwise.

<h2>Florida asks Trump for flood aid as families in 2,000 damaged Brevard homes wait</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/florida-asks-trump-for-flood-aid-as-families-in-2-000-damaged-brevard-homes-wait">The GOP Files</a> on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.</em></p> <p>Florida has formally asked the federal government for a major disaster declaration for communities hit by flooding in Central and South Florida. The Florida Division of Emergency Management announced Monday, Nov. 9, that it filed the request at the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis . The state did not say which counties are included or what kinds of help it wants. No aid can flow until Washington approves the request .</p> <p>The request comes a week after heavy rain swamped the state. On Nov. 2, DeSantis declared a state of emergency for seven counties: Indian River, Martin, St. Lucie, Brevard, DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands . County officials say the rain damaged more than 2,000 homes in Brevard County alone . In Martin County, 66 homes were damaged, and 25 of them were destroyed .</p> <h2>Families paying out of pocket</h2> <p>In Palm Bay, Dale Johnson said 12 inches of floodwater swept through his home. It ruined family heirlooms and his late father&#39;s belongings . He and his 83-year-old mother live on fixed incomes. They are paying for an extended-stay room and covering replacement costs while they wait for insurance money . &quot;Where&#39;s the federal resources? Where are the state resources?&quot; he asked .</p> <p>Another Palm Bay resident, Ashley Banks, said her family is struggling to pay for cleanup, basic needs and missed work. &quot;We&#39;re desperate for FEMA,&quot; she said . In Martin County, residents say neighbors, churches and donations have done most of the work of helping them so far .</p> <blockquote><p>No one else has really helped us. I mean, we&#39;ve all been helping ourselves.</p><p>&mdash; Suzie Keith, Martin County flood victim</p></blockquote> <p>Brevard County has opened two resource centers, both open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. One is the Tony Rosa Community Center at 1502 Port Malabar Rd. in Palm Bay. The other is the Veterans Memorial Complex at 2285 Minton Rd. in West Melbourne . Staff from the American Red Cross, community legal services, several state agencies and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are on site . Businesses can report damage at FloridaDisaster.biz by selecting &quot;2026 Fall Flooding&quot; .</p> <h2>How the approval process works</h2> <p>A major disaster declaration is what opens up the large federal programs. Individual Assistance helps households directly. Public Assistance repays state and local governments for work like debris removal and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure .</p> <p>To get there, local officials first finish their damage counts. Then FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the state do joint damage assessments. The governor sends the request to FEMA, and FEMA and the president make the final decision . A Palm Bay emergency official said Brevard must show at least $3 million in damage from the rain, and the state as a whole must show at least $42 million .</p> <h2>Moody touts older money</h2> <p>Also on Monday, Sen. Ashley Moody announced more than $2.5 billion in FEMA funds for Florida. The money covers more than 500 public assistance projects, and some communities have been waiting for it since 2017 . Her office did not say whether any of it covers the November flooding, and it gave no timeline for when the money will arrive .</p> <blockquote><p>These are funds that communities have been waiting on for years. Our work is not done.</p><p>&mdash; Ashley Moody, U.S. senator, R-Florida</p></blockquote> <h2>A fast track for some states</h2> <p>Florida&#39;s last request moved fast. Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin as a Category 2 storm on Oct. 9 . On Oct. 16, DeSantis announced a request for Public Assistance in 15 Northwest Florida counties and Individual Assistance in eight . &quot;We will be doing everything we can to help these families rebuild their homes,&quot; he said . President Trump announced his approval on Oct. 27 . By Nov. 9, FEMA had approved more than $34 million for storm victims in the Panhandle .</p> <p>That matters because not every state gets that speed. An E&amp;E News review of about 2,500 disaster declarations found that in his second term, Trump approved 23% of disaster requests from states with a Democratic governor and two Democratic senators. He approved 89% of requests from states with a Republican governor and two Republican senators . On average he took 80 days to act on requests from Democratic-led states, compared with 39 days for Republican-led states . In his first term, the approval rates were 93% for Democratic-led states and 89% for Republican-led states .</p> <p>Denials have climbed overall. In 2025 the administration denied 26% of requests for major disaster declarations. That is more than double the rate of the year before and well above the 20-year average of 15% . In Michigan, four tornadoes killed four people in March 2026, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer&#39;s request for aid and her appeal were both denied . FEMA also owes local governments almost $10 billion for recovery work they have already paid for .</p> <blockquote><p>Never in my lifetime has a president treated disaster relief as a political cudgel</p><p>&mdash; Patty Murray, U.S. senator and top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, D-Washington</p></blockquote> <p>The White House rejects that charge. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson said Trump gives disaster requests &quot;a more thorough review&quot; than past administrations did .</p> <blockquote><p>There is no politicization to the President&#39;s decisions on disaster aid.</p><p>&mdash; Abigail Jackson, White House spokesperson</p></blockquote> <p>The E&amp;E News findings suggest disaster aid now depends more on decisions made in the White House than on FEMA&#39;s damage formulas. Former officials told E&amp;E News that, in the past, the formula was usually what decided the outcome . Flooded families on the Treasure Coast and Space Coast should get a fair, fast answer. So should families in Michigan, Illinois or Washington state. The next step to watch is whether FEMA and the state finish their joint damage assessments and how long Washington then takes to decide.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/florida-asks-trump-for-flood-aid-as-families-in-2-000-damaged-brevard-homes-wait">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/florida-asks-trump-for-flood-aid-as-families-in-2-000-damaged-brevard-homes-wait.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

Copy the HTML Paste it into your editor's HTML view. The one-pixel image at the end tells our newsroom the story ran; it stores no reader data.

Sources

1. WPTV/WFLX, “Residents wait for FEMA assistance after Florida puts in request after widespread flooding” (2026-11-09). wflx.com/2026/11/10/residents-wait-fema-assistance-after-flo
2. WFTV, “Brevard County seeks disaster aid after floods hit 2000 homes” (2026-11-06). wftv.com/news/local/brevard-county-pushes-federal-aid-after-
3. WKMG News 6, “South Brevard homeowners seek FEMA help 1 week after flooding” (2026-11-09). clickorlando.com/news/local/2026/11/09/south-brevard-homeown
4. Office of Sen. Ashley Moody, “Senator Moody Secures More than $2.5 Billion in FEMA Funding for Florida Communities Affected by Disasters” (2026-11-09). moody.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-moody-secures-more-t
5. CBS12, “Florida Sen. Ashley Moody secures $2.5B in FEMA disaster aid amid flooding recovery” (2026-11-09). cbs12.com/news/local/florida-sen-ashley-moody-secures-25b-in
6. WEAR, “One month after Hurricane Isaias, FEMA aid reaches storm victims in Northwest Florida” (2026-11-09). weartv.com/news/local/one-month-after-hurricane-isaias-fema-
7. Florida Division of Emergency Management, “ICYMI: Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Florida Requests Approval for Major Disaster Declaration Following Hurricane Isaias” (2026-10-16). floridadisaster.org/news-media/news/20261026-icymi-governor-
8. Fox Weather, “President Trump approves major disaster declaration for Florida after Hurricane Isaias” (2026-10-28). foxweather.com/weather-news/disaster-declaration-florida-hur
9. E&E News by Politico, “It's three times harder for blue states to get disaster funding under Trump” (2026-03-23). eenews.net/articles/its-three-times-harder-for-blue-states-t
10. Fortune (The Conversation), “Trump approved nearly 90% of disaster aid requests from all-Republican states and only 23% from all-Democratic ones” (2026-11-04). fortune.com/2026/11/04/trump-disaster-aid-fema-republican-de
11. WPTV/WFLX, “Gov. DeSantis declares state of emergency for 7 Florida counties, including Treasure Coast, for flooding” (2026-11-02). wflx.com/2026/11/03/gov-desantis-declares-state-emergency-7-

Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.