Pensacola, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis traveled to the Salvation Army Multi-Agency Resource Center in Pensacola on Monday to roll out new state-funded relief for Northwest Florida families still rebuilding after Hurricane Isaias, handing over the first two emergency travel trailers and announcing one-time $5,000 grants for first responders whose own homes were damaged while they answered the call.

What is happening: The governor's Monday announcement puts state dollars to work now instead of waiting on Washington. Through a partnership between the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Emergency RV, a nonprofit that supplies temporary shelter after disasters, travel trailers are going to residents displaced by severe hurricane damage so they have a place to live while they rebuild. The program has already drawn nearly 300 applications.

At the same time, eight first responders in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who kept serving their communities even as the storm damaged their own homes will each receive a one-time $5,000 grant, funded through the Florida Sheriffs Association alongside the Florida Disaster Fund and Volunteer Florida. The state also approved $4.5 million in business recovery loans for storm-hit small businesses. Florida is still waiting on a federal decision on its request for a Major Disaster Declaration, which would unlock Public Assistance for 15 counties and Individual Assistance for residents in eight counties.

Local impacts: The first two trailers went to Escambia County families facing steep losses. One went to Debbie, a 74-year-old widow on a fixed income whose roof caved in when a massive tree limb came down on her home — she is also dealing with serious medical conditions. The other went to Brittany and Joshua, a young couple with two small children and a third on the way, whose mobile home was split open when two trees crashed through it, wrecking the kitchen, hallway and their daughter's bedroom.

The eight first responders being honored continued rescue and recovery work across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties despite taking storm damage to their own homes. DeSantis said the state is moving with its own programs because displaced families need help now, not months from now.

What to do:

- If your home was severely damaged by Hurricane Isaias and you need temporary shelter, you can apply for the trailer program at EmergencyRV.org.

- Find current recovery resources and updates at floridadisaster.org/updates and follow the Florida Division of Emergency Management on social media.

- If you see water rising around you, get to higher ground immediately.

Watch the press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oDfHlKOdY4

Source: Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, October 19, 2026. Reported by TNW News.