Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to eliminate or suspend burdensome regulations preventing Floridians from rebuilding their homes after the devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton. These restrictions, she argues, are forcing some residents to abandon their communities altogether.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck within just 13 days, battering Florida with catastrophic damage. Helene made landfall on Sept. 27 as a Category 4 storm, followed by Milton, a Category 3, on Oct. 9. Combined, these hurricanes unleashed winds up to 180 miles per hour, dumped unprecedented rainfall, and spawned at least 19 tornadoes. St. Petersburg, for instance, was hit with a historic 1-in-1,000-year flood event, submerging the area under 18 inches of rain.
Milton alone caused between $17 billion and $28 billion in damages to homes and businesses, with total losses, including uninsured properties, surging to $34 billion. CoreLogic reports that Milton is on track to become one of the top 10 most destructive hurricanes in history.
Moody argues that FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is hampering the recovery process. Under current regulations, homes needing “substantial improvements”—defined as repairs costing 50% or more of the home’s pre-storm value—must be brought up to current flood-resistant building codes. Many residents in low-income communities, living in older homes, simply cannot afford these upgrades.
“These regulations are preventing people from rebuilding and forcing them to leave their homes and communities,” Moody said. “It’s an unacceptable burden on those who have suffered the most.”
In a letter to FEMA’s acting director, Moody criticized the regulations, saying they place “too great a cost” on residents who are already struggling to recover. She demanded FEMA either grant exemptions or suspend the NFIP requirements in the hardest-hit regions.
Moody’s letter comes after she filed a lawsuit against FEMA employees who allegedly ignored storm victims simply because they supported President-elect Donald Trump. Whistleblower reports revealed FEMA workers in Lake Placid skipped over at least 20 homes displaying Trump signs or flags.
Adding to the crisis, looting surged in hurricane-ravaged areas. In Pinellas County, which suffered significant damage from both hurricanes, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri reported that 91% of those arrested for looting were in the country illegally. The suspects came from Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, and Venezuela.
Moody’s demands highlight the mounting frustration over federal red tape hampering Florida’s hurricane recovery. As residents struggle to rebuild, the clock is ticking for FEMA to cut the bureaucracy and let Floridians return to their homes and communities.
