TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis released the following statement regarding the recent announcement by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center officially upgrading Hurricane Michael to a Category 5 storm. This makes Hurricane Michael the first hurricane to make landfall as a Category 5 storm since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and only the fourth on record.

 

“The news that Hurricane Michael was a Category 5 storm at landfall will come as no surprise to anyone who is still living with the aftermath of this monster storm. Six months later we still don’t have congressional relief dollars, and the people of the Panhandle are stuck in the middle of political games. The prolonged recovery process has only been made worse by the lack of compassion of members of Congress turning a blind eye to the hardships in Northwest Florida.

 

“I hope this news serves as a strong wake up call to those prioritizing politics over real people fighting to get by. The Panhandle has so many families struggling as they piece their lives back together bit by bit—we need relief now."