Trump approves Isaias aid for Florida's public repairs, but storm-hit families still wait

President Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Florida on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for Hurricane Isaias. The storm made landfall near Destin on Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane ³. The declaration covers 15 Panhandle counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Liberty, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Wakulla, Walton and Washington ³⁶.

So far it pays only for what the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) calls Public Assistance. That money goes to local governments for emergency work and for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities ⁶.

Gov. Ron DeSantis asked for individual help in eight counties: Bay, Escambia, Gulf, Holmes, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington. The county determination for individual assistance is still under review ⁴⁶. If it is approved, eligible households could get money for temporary housing, basic home repairs and other disaster-related costs ⁶.

A longer wait than after Hurricane Sally

DeSantis filed Florida's request on Oct. 15, about six days after landfall, and did not ask for an expedited decision this time ⁸. After Hurricane Sally in 2020, DeSantis asked two days after landfall, and Trump approved that declaration five days after the request ⁸.

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While Florida waited, DeSantis told reporters that disaster declarations are not automatic ⁸. State Rep. Michelle Salzman, a Republican from the Panhandle, questioned the delay and pointed to how Sally was handled ⁵.

The state's early damage checks found damaged homes in the eight counties that could qualify for individual aid ⁹.

Some of it's a little bureaucratic in FEMA between a cat 2 and a cat 3

That warning came from Ed Spears, city manager of Milton in Santa Rosa County. He estimated that 400,000 to 500,000 cubic yards of storm debris are still waiting to be hauled away there ³.

Insurance checks are slow too

Isaias was blamed for at least six deaths in Florida ³.

That matters because Individual Assistance is often the only help for people whose claims are denied, who are underinsured or who have no coverage at all. Okaloosa County's director of public safety and emergency management, Patrick Maddox, said approval is "not always an automatic go." He said FEMA weighs the state's financial capacity, insured versus uninsured losses and the kinds of damage ⁵.

Who gets the credit, and the blame

Florida Republicans praised the White House. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor, said "President Trump has approved critical disaster assistance for 15 counties impacted by Hurricane Isaias" ¹⁰. Rep. Jimmy Patronis called the declaration a "critical step toward getting families the resources they need" ⁴.

A lot of the resources are starting to dry up and go away.

Campaigning in the Panhandle on Oct. 26, before the approval, Donalds blamed the holdup partly on FEMA paperwork. He said the president is reviewing the agency "top to bottom" ⁷. His Democratic opponent, former Rep. David Jolly, said responsibility sits with the White House ⁷.

And when FEMA is not administering the services as quickly as it should be, that's the responsibility of the president.

Jolly also said DeSantis had largely done well on storm response but had fallen down a little bit this time locally ⁷.

Alabama is still waiting

Isaias also killed two people in Alabama and left hundreds of thousands there without power ¹¹. Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, asked for a major disaster declaration covering 23 counties on Friday, Oct. 23, including help for households ¹¹.

Alabama's congressional delegation, led by Republican Sen. Katie Britt, urged Trump to "approve it without delay." Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures sent his own letter describing the damage ¹¹. As of the Oct. 27 report, no decision on Alabama's request had been reported ¹¹.

The pattern is that local governments get help with the cleanup first, while families who need repairs or a place to stay wait for a separate decision. Five days before the election, the approval is being praised on the campaign trail, but no household in the hardest-hit counties has yet been approved for direct federal help ¹⁰.

The Record

1. Sep 23, 2020Trump approved Florida's Hurricane Sally declaration five days after DeSantis asked for it ⁸.
2. Oct 9, 2026Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin as a Category 2 storm ³.
3. Oct 15, 2026DeSantis submitted Florida's request for a major disaster declaration ⁸.
4. Oct 23, 2026Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey requested a major disaster declaration for 23 counties ¹¹.
5. Oct 27, 2026Trump approved Florida's declaration for public assistance only. Individual assistance was still under review ⁴⁶.

Sources

1. FEMA, “Florida Hurricane Isaias (DR-4955-FL)” (2026-10-27). fema.gov/disaster/4955
2. FEMA, “DR-4955-FL Designated Areas” (2026-10-27). fema.gov/disaster/4955/designated-areas
3. FOX Weather, “President Trump approves major disaster declaration for Florida after Hurricane Isaias” (2026-10-28). foxweather.com/weather-news/disaster-declaration-florida-hur
4. WEAR-TV, “Trump grants major disaster declaration for Florida, unlocking federal aid after Isaias” (2026-10-27). weartv.com/news/local/trump-grants-major-disaster-declaratio
5. WEAR-TV, “Northwest Florida gets disaster declaration, but individual assistance still pending” (2026-10-28). weartv.com/news/nas-pensacola-shooting/northwest-florida-get
6. WUWF, “President Trump approves disaster declaration for Isaias” (2026-10-28). wuwf.org/local-news/2026-10-28/president-trump-approves-disa
7. WEAR-TV, “Florida governor candidates talk FEMA holdup during Panhandle campaign trail” (2026-10-26). weartv.com/news/local/florida-governor-candidates-talk-fema-
8. WEAR-TV, “Northwest Florida awaits Trump action on major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaias” (2026-10-23). weartv.com/news/local/northwest-florida-awaits-trump-action-
9. Florida Phoenix (via InsuranceNewsNet), “Hurricane Isaias causes $582 million in insured damage; state seeks $237 million from FEMA” (2026-10-24). insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/hurricane-isaias-causes-582-mi
10. The Floridian, “Lawmakers Praise Trump & Donalds for Hurricane Disaster Assistance” (2026-10-28). floridianpress.com/2026/10/lawmakers-praise-trump-donalds-fo
11. AL.com (via Yahoo News), “Alabama lawmakers urge Trump to fast-track Isaias disaster declaration” (2026-10-27). yahoo.com/news/weather-news/articles/alabama-lawmakers-urge-

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