(NewsNation) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state would be giving out free fuel at 12 distribution sites following Hurricane Milton.
The state has deployed 2.4 million gallons of fuel from reserves as ports get up and running, the governor announced. He also noted that the state would be contributing $9.5 million for infrastructure recovery following the storm, which was the second hurricane to hit the state in two weeks.
Nearly a week after Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction in Florida, power should be restored to all residents by Tuesday night, according to state and utility company officials.
President Joe Biden visited the hard-hit areas of Saint Petersburg and Saint Pete Beach on Sunday, where he announced $600 million of aid after Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Residents face an uphill battle as they rebuild from the back-to-back storms that devastated Florida communities. Aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Biden is on the way as many locals struggle with debris, power outages and fuel shortages.
Restoring electricity after Helene, Milton
Power restoration efforts are progressing, but more than 400,000 Floridians remained in the dark as of 9 a.m. ET Monday, according to poweroutage.us. Electricity has been restored to 3.25 million customers by crews working around the clock with help from out-of-state teams, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light both said they expect to have power restored to nearly all customers in all impacted areas by Tuesday night, except for those in areas heavily damaged by flooding, tornadoes or storm surge.
Biden also announced $612 million in funding to strengthen the power grid, with $94 million earmarked for Florida. Both state and federal leaders are pushing to restore full power as quickly as possible.
Gasoline shortages
Fuel shortages remain a critical challenge as long lines persist at the few operating gas stations in the hardest-hit areas.
About a quarter of all of the nearly 7,900 gas stations in the state of Florida didn’t have gas or power Thursday. Damage to a pair of major fuel ports in the area created the largest barriers to fuel. Port Tampa Bay’s fuel terminals lost power after Hurricane Milton, which prevented fuel distribution to the community.
Power had been restored to all seven private fuel terminals as of Friday.
The state has also set up free fuel distribution sites in Bradenton, St. Petersburg and Plant City, offering up to 10 gallons per vehicle. For many, those free fuel stations have been a lifeline, helping families stay connected and mobile during the crisis.
DeSantis said more sites will open soon, and additional fuel is on the way via the Tampa shipping port.
Debris cleanup
DeSantis said debris removal could take up to a year despite the nearly 3,000 workers assisting with cleanup. Biden has approved 100% federal reimbursement for those efforts for 90 days.
“The (removal of) debris has to be 24/7 over this 90-day period,” DeSantis said while speaking next to a pile of furniture, lumber and other debris in Treasure Island, an island city near St. Petersburg that has been battered by both recent hurricanes. “That’s the way you get the job done.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
