Gov. DeSantis tours Steinhatchee after Hurricane Debby makes landfall as a Category 1 hurricane
STEINHATCHEE, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis was in Steinhatchee on Tuesday morning, assessing the damage Hurricane Debby left behind a day after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.
Debby spent Sunday skirting its way up Florida’s west coast before taking a turn to the east and making landfall in the Big Bend area around 7 a.m.
READ: Sarasota residents evacuated from homes after record rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby
During Tuesday's press conference, the governor noted that while Hurricane Debby followed a similar path to Hurricane Idalia last year, the difference in destruction was night and day.
Hurricane Idalia was just shy of a Category 4 storm when it made landfall last August. DeSantis said Idalia left behind a lot of debris in the heavily-wooded Big Bend area, and the debris from Debby wasn't as bad.
On Tuesday, Governor DeSantis announced the activation of the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $10 million available for businesses impacted by Hurricane Debby.
Florida small business owners needing assistance, including sole proprietors, can click here to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program. www.FloridaJobs.org/EBL
As of Tuesday morning, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) emergency response personnel had checked out more than 10,000 lane miles of state roads. One hundred and eighty-one FDOT crews have performed cut-and-toss operations removing road debris on over 6,596 miles of road. DeSantis said state roadways are now clear except for inaccessible and flooded roadways.
READ: Crews working to restore power after Debby caused widespread outages
The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) is operational. Residents needing resources after Hurricane Debby can call 1-800-342-3557.
The Bay Area may have dodged a direct hit from Debby, but it wasn't unscathed.
Dozens of people had to be evacuated from their homes due rising floodwaters and the storm is responsible for at least four deaths in the state.
Debby is expected to spend three days over the Carolinas, which could create ‘catastrophic’ flooding for South Carolina, which may get 20 inches of rain.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter