Deanne Criswell visited Sarasota, Punta Gorda, Kissimmee, Stuart, and Eglin Air Force Base. Admittedly she has her hands full.

President Joe Biden on Friday approved a major disaster declaration for Florida, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday, meaning that people in nearly three-dozen counties affected by Hurricane Milton can now get FEMA aid.

Tampa Bay residents and others across Florida whose homes and property were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Milton can now apply for aid through FEMA's direct assistance program. Why it matters: The federal aid — which includes includes grants for temporary housing and repairs for uninsured damage — provides a financial lifeline after natural disasters.

As Hurricane Milton roared ashore near Sarasota, Florida, tens of thousands of people were in evacuation shelters. Hundreds of thousands more had fled coastal regions ahead of the storm, crowding highways headed north and south as their counties issued evacuation orders.