DeSantis Crowdfunds $1.1M for Tornado Victims that Biden Denied Assistance

March 18, 2022 Updated 9:38 A.M. ET

FORT MYERS (FCV) – At a mobile home park in Fort Myers, Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has crowdfunded over $1.1 million for tornado victims.

Areas of Southwest Florida were ravaged by tornados in January.

According to DeSantis Press Secretary Christina Pushaw, DeSantis has given the first round of checks from the crowdfunding effort to survivors of the tornados.

The money comes after DeSantis opened a donation portal for anyone to donate money to assistance victims. It can be found here.

President Joe Biden denied Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to the tornado victims in February after Florida requested Individual Assistance from the agency. According to Pushaw, FEMA has not responded to DeSantis’ appeal of the denial from the federal government.

“One resident yelled ‘Let’s Go Brandon’,” she said of the announcement.

84% of the impacted population are living on Social Security income – most of the victims are elderly, meaning it is difficult for them to provide for themselves with a job as younger Americans might.

At the time of the FEMA denial, some areas were still lacking access to working utilities.

“With a high percentage of both older adults and destroyed homes, there is a risk of decline in this specific population because of displacement and unstable housing,” Florida said of the denial.

After the tornado, DeSantis issued Executive Order 22-17 to declare a State of Emergency in Charlotte and Lee County for an emergency response.