PUNTA GORDA — Area officials welcomed U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube to Punta Gorda on Tuesday to see the recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene.
As floodwaters recede, Scott and Steube observed workers and business owners along West Marion Avenue cleaning up storm damage and discussing their experiences.
“I want to thank everyone for all their hard work,” Scott said after the tour, praising emergency personnel and disaster management staff for their actions during and after Helene.
Steube said he was struck by the sheer devastation Helene brought to his congressional district, despite the fact the storm did not directly travel over the area.
“All my coastal communities are underwater,” he told Charlotte County Commissioner Joe Tiseo during a meet-and-greet.
City and county officials expressed their thanks to both men for previous disaster relief.
“We are grateful you are here to support us,” Punta Gorda Mayor Lynne Matthews said after the tour.
Matthews drew attention to the extreme storm surge seen throughout the city. Her own home, placed 11 feet above coastal elevation, saw water come within 2 feet.