Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $311 million in state and federal grants earlier this month, seeking to improve storm-damaged and aging infrastructure in communities statewide, with the bulk of the funding directed to rural counties and small cities hit hardest by recent disasters.
The money will be used to repair utilities, strengthen water and wastewater systems, and bolster emergency and public safety infrastructure following a series of major storms in 2023 and 2024.
Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton, along with multiple tornadoes that struck North Florida, caused significant infrastructure damage, particularly in less populated towns. Of the 37 communities set to receive funding, 32 are rural counties or small cities, according to the governor’s office.
Funding for the projects comes from two sources: the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Infrastructure Repair Program and the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIF). Projects funded through the awards include improvements to water and wastewater systems, stormwater channels, bridges, shelters and emergency systems.
CDBG-DR Infrastructure Repair Program
The state program portion drawing on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) CDBG-DR funding is part of a broader $400 million allocated for infrastructure repair projects tied to the 2023 and 2024 storms, of which $311 million was awarded in the latest round. At least 20 entities are set to receive infrastructure repair grants, including counties, cities and special districts.
Some of the highest-funded CDBG-DR projects include:
- Peace River Watershed Project (Polk County) — $70 million for water infrastructure repair and flood-risk management.
- Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners — $38.04 million for the North Florida Regional Special Needs Emergency Shelter.
- City of Avon Park — $22.25 million for sanitary sewer system assessment, repair and reconstruction.
- Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) — $20 million to redirect wastewater flows to a reliable treatment facility.
- Citrus County Board of County Commissioners — $16.44 million to replace a storm-damaged sanitary sewer system.
- City of Arcadia – Stormwater Channel — $14.23 million to widen the main stormwater channel.
- Town of St. Lucie Village — $12.12 million for a resilient centralized potable water system.
- Immokalee Water and Sewer District — $10.82 million to upgrade wastewater treatment plant capacity and reliability.
Rural Infrastructure Fund
The RIF targets critical infrastructure projects to promote job creation and economic development in Florida’s rural communities. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, state lawmakers appropriated $22 million for RIF grants, drawing applications from rural applicants across the state.
RIF awards in the latest round include funding for transportation improvements, essential utility upgrades and development-ready infrastructure in small communities. Among the highest funded projects are:
- Putnam County Board of County Commissioners — $3 million to construct and commission critical public infrastructure at the Central Landfill in Putnam County.
- Keystone Heights Airport Authority — $2.95 million to construct a runway extension to Runway 2 at the Keystone Heights Airport.
- Columbia County Board of County Commissioners — $2 million to construct inbound and outbound rail track serving the North Florida Mega Industrial Park, supporting economic development.
- City of Lake City — $1.79 million — to replace an airport hangar at Lake City Gateway Airport damaged by Hurricane Idalia.
Funds for both CDBG-DR and RIF projects will be administered through FloridaCommerce, which oversees the Rebuild Florida initiative.
Rebuild Florida is the state’s long-term disaster recovery program and includes separate funding streams for housing recovery, infrastructure repair and mitigation projects to reduce future storm impacts. The initiative is designed to help communities rebuild while improving resilience to future disasters.
State officials say the infrastructure investments are expected to support economic development, protect public health and safety and strengthen communities that are often slower to recover due to limited local resources.
Projects will move forward as local governments finalize agreements with the state, with construction timelines varying by project scope and environmental review requirements.
Photo by Connor McManus from Pexels
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