Post-storm Rebuilding Costs Could Pose Problems, Former Fema Leader Says

TALLAHASSEE — As the Atlantic Ocean shows signs of heating up, potentially fueling damaging hurricanes, a former state and national disaster chief warned Tuesday of working-class Floridians being priced out of communities in post-storm rebuilding. Craig Fugate, a disaster-planning consultant who previously served as director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management and administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said financing and the availability of insurance will continue to be issues for some people trying to rebuild. “I don’t think it’s going to slow down rebuilding, because it’s not really slowing things down in Fort Myers,” Fugate said, referring to rebuilding after Hurricane Ian slammed into the Fort Myers area in 2022.