Natural disasters have continued to grow in number, strength and size since weather data has been recorded. Recently, California was subject to the largest wildfire in the state’s history; an estimated 1.2 million acres has already burned, and fire season is far from over. The East Coast and Gulf Coast have seen a stream of hurricanes for the past several years. So far this year, we’ve seen nine hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean alone with three making landfall. Many states continue to see flooding worsen as levees grow higher along the Mississippi, drainage infrastructure fails, or record rainfalls strike overnight. Hawaii continues to watch the eruption of Kilauea as well as manage Tropical Storm Olivia.
In March, Florida enacted HB 7087, which creates several one-time tax exemptions related to hurricane response, preparedness and recovery.