Governor Ron DeSantis visited Taylor County today to announce over $167 million in hurricane recovery and infrastructure grants for rural North Florida communities battered by recent storms. For the people of Taylor County, Steinhatchee, Dixie County, and Cross City, the Governor's words carried special weight—he spoke directly about their resilience, the area's world-famous stone crabs, and its irreplaceable "old Florida" charm.

DeSantis recounted the punishing series of storms that hit the Big Bend: Idalia in 2023, Debbie in 2024, and Helene just a month later. "You guys didn’t get Milton as bad," he said, "but certainly Idalia, Helene… that was 13 months to get three of those. That was really a big deal." He praised the community's perseverance, noting, "People here really did a good job persevering."