On Oct. 9, 2024, President Joe Biden authorized federal assistance through an emergency declaration to support the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s response efforts related to Hurricane Milton. The move allows direct federal aid to become available for the tribe, including assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Marco Rubio and Rick Scott – the state’s U.S. Senators – wrote to Biden on Oct. 8 in support of the tribe’s request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration.

“Ensuring the Tribe has access to the federal resources needed for emergency response is imperative to protecting members of the tribe, their communities and property,” Rubio and Scott wrote in the letter.