Miami-Dade County Commissioners establishes Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Joaquin relief efforts

MIAMI – The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners recently passed a resolution to allow County employees to contribute leave time to the County’s Emergency Disaster Relief Fund for the purpose of donating the value of leave time to Hurricane Joaquin relief efforts.

This legislation, sponsored by Commissioner Dennis C. Moss, came as the Governor of the State of Florida and the government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas issued emergency declarations.

From September 27 through October 7, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin brought devastating weather conditions to parts of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the loss of life and property. Approximately 85 percent of the homes on Crooked Island and half a dozen churches were severely damaged. Other islands in the Bahamas including Acklins Island and Long Island also suffered tremendous damage.

“The relationship that we have with the people of the Bahamas dates back to the beginning of Miami-Dade County as we know it today,” said Commissioner Moss.  “The Bahamian people joined others to be there for us after Hurricane Andrew, providing assistance to South Miami-Dade residents. Now it’s our turn to be there for them.”

Miami-Dade County has previously adopted resolutions to assist other communities devastated by natural disasters including Texas, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York and the Caribbean. County employees have contributed their earned holiday and annual leave to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief fund, to victims of the Earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and to victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

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