Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $500,000 from the Florida Disaster Fund to help with Pasco County recovery efforts, and Sen. Rick Scott, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell trade barbs in the Senate race.
DeSantis announces disaster relief
Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Zephyrhills Tuesday.
He announced that Pasco County is receiving $500,000 from the Florida Disaster Fund to help with recovery efforts.
Heavy rain from Hurricane Milton overflowed rivers and caused major flooding in the county.
DeSantis said the money will support nonprofit organizations that provide free cleanup services, including debris removal and other services for those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Milton or Helene.
“Each of these organizations has been on the ground in Florida following these most recent hurricanes and they are going to continue to help Floridians who have been devastated by the storm,” DeSantis said.
Also today, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced that “Operation Blue Roof” is now open through Nov. 5.
Officials say that this program is a free service that provides fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting to protect storm-damaged roofs until homeowners can make permanent repairs.
Residents impacted by Hurricane Milton can sign up by visiting blueroof.gov.
Scott, Mucarsel-Powell trade barbs in Senate race
In the U.S. Senate race, candidates are unleashing new ads.
In one of them, Democratic candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell equates her opponent, Sen. Rick Scott, to a snake.
“Florida’s biggest snake isn’t in the Everglades, he’s in the Senate, Rick Scott,” she said.
Mucarsel-Powell has accused Scott of stealing money from seniors — referencing a 1997 Medicare fraud case involving Columbia/HCA, a hospital company Scott was CEO of.
She goes on to say Scott, as a senator, wrote a plan to end Social Security, raise taxes and ban abortion.
Mucarsel-Powell made stops in Hillsborough County today, and in Seminole County, where Spectrum News asked her what she would do to help people, including Latinos, who have concerns about the economy.
“I have a bill that I could lead in the Senate that could reduce property insurance rates by 25%," she said. "We can bring really good paying jobs here if we bring in investments for solar manufacturing. We are The Sunshine State.
"There are a lot of opportunities that we can bring so that we allow our young Floridians to stay in the state of Florida, have a good-paying job, and eventually be able to buy their first home if they choose to."
And on the other side of the race, Scott is trying to win the Hispanic vote.
He has released a new Hispanic radio ad statewide.
“Soy Rick Scot, candidato al Senado de los Estados Unidos y apruebo este mensaje,” Scott said in the add.
The ad is titled, “Socialism Has a Name.”
According to Scott’s office, the ad talks about Mucarsel-Powell’s political career during her time in Congress.