Flooded Florida seeks $26M in federal aid

Florida officials say they will ask for more than $26 million in federal aid this week after the summer's record rainfall left behind damage in seven counties. While the state did not take a direct hit from Hurricane Isaac, rains from the outer edge of the storm, along with those from Tropical Storm Debby and other storms have dropped 30.58 inches of precipitation on the Sunshine State, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported Thursday. That's nearly 9 inches more than the usual summer average. Isaac alone dumped 15 inches of rain on Palm Beach County, flooding roads and overwhelming storm water drainage systems. Preliminary damages for Palm Beach County are as high as $71 million, said three Florida Democratic congressmen in a letter to Gov. Rick Scott asking him to request the aid. "When all the assessments are completed, the total amount of damage may be considerably greater," said the signers of the letter, Sen. Bill Nelson and Reps. Alcee Hastings and Ted Deutch. The disaster funds will be used to repair roads, bridges, and public buildings in severely flooded areas in South Florida and restore eroded beaches in west Florida.