“FEMA announced today that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Florida to supplement response efforts due to emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Helene beginning Sept 23 and continuing. The President’s action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts to alleviate the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population and to provide appropriate assistance to save lives, to protect property, public health and safety and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe,” says a FEMA press release.