|
DONATE TO THE FLORIDA DISASTER
FUND
To contribute, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or
text DISASTER to 20222.
FLORIDA RESPONSE TO
HURRICANE IAN CONTINUES
Governor DeSantis is, first and foremost, focused on the recovery
efforts for communities affected by Hurricane Ian. He is dedicated to
helping communities recover and rebuild from the impacts of the
hurricane and is working with local, state and federal officials
to support Floridians who are in need.
The
Governor has been issuing updates on Hurricane Ian every day along
with Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie, First
Lady Casey DeSantis, CFO Jimmy Patronis and numerous federal, state
and local emergency management officials.
There are
currently 42,000 linemen responding to the more than 1.9 million
reported power outages. They have already restored power to more than
700,000 accounts in Southwest Florida.
First Lady
Casey DeSantis also announced that donations have poured in to the
Florida Disaster Fund, surpassing $10 million in just the first 24
hours of being activated. The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of
Florida’s official private fund established to provide financial
assistance to our communities as they respond to and recover from
times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with public, private,
and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund
supports response and recovery activities. To contribute, please
visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or
text DISASTER to 20222.
The state
website for reporting missing persons related to Hurricane Ian is http://missing.fl.gov. If
you need to report a missing person, fill out the form on behalf of
“Someone Else.” You can also fill out the form on behalf of yourself
if communications are limited.
Stay up to
date with the latest news releases on recovery efforts following
Hurricane Ian at www.flgov.com.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
MOODY EXPANDS PRICE GOUGING HOTLINE STATEWIDE
Attorney
General Ashley Moody has expanded Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline
statewide. All Floridians can now report instances of severe price
increases on essential commodities to the Attorney General's Office.
Florida’s price gouging law only applies to commodities and services
essential to preparing for, or recovering from, a storm during a
declared state of emergency.
For tips on reporting price gouging,
click here.
For more information
on price gouging, click here.
To download
Attorney General Moody’s Scams at a Glance: Price
Gouging brochure in English, click here.
To download the Spanish version, click here.
CONSUMER ALERT: BEWARE OF HURRICANE IAN CHARITY
SCAMS
Florida’s
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis warns individuals and
businesses looking to contribute to Hurricane Ian relief efforts to be
cautious of imposter GoFundMe style crowdfunding websites and charity
scams and encourages Floridians to donate to the Florida Disaster
Fund. To contribute, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or
text DISASTER to 20222.
Tips to avoid charity
scams from the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC):
- Don’t let
anyone rush you into making a donation. That’s something scammers
do.
- Some
scammers try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a
donation that you never made.
- Scammers
can change caller ID to make a call look like it’s from a local area
code.
- If someone
wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do
it. That’s how scammers ask you to pay.
- To be
safer, pay by credit card or check.
- It’s a
good practice to keep a record of all donations. And review your
statements closely to make sure you’re only charged the amount you
agreed to donate – and that you’re not signed up to make a recurring
donation.
-
Before
clicking on a link to donate online, make sure you know who is
receiving your donation. Read Donating
Through Crowdfunding, Social Media, and Fundraising Platforms for more
information.
|