 Despite the flooding in Florida, the heavy rainfall proved beneficial in alleviating drought conditions. By late September, water levels in 18 counties in southwestern Florida were within the normal range for the first time in 18 months. On September 28, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared seven Florida counties as disaster areas; this allocated federal funding for debris removal and repairing damaged public facilities. After the storm's passage, there were more than 32,000 insurance claims for homes, and 10,000 claims for damaged cars.
