FEMA Helps Hurricane Ian Survivors Jumpstart Their Recovery (October 10, 2022)

FEMA Helps Hurricane Ian Survivors Jumpstart Their Recovery 

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More than $190 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for over 127,000 households damaged by Hurricane Ian. FEMA is opening more Disaster Recovery Centers and going door-to-door to help survivors sign up for assistance in affected communities.

How FEMA is helping Floridians:

• Residents in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties are eligible for individual assistance. 
• Today, FEMA opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Hardee County. Along with Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists going door-to-door in Florida neighborhoods, there are now eight centers operating across the state. Disaster Recovery Centers are in Charlotte, Collier, Hardee, Orange, Osceola and Sarasota counties, with two centers operating in Lee County. More centers are planned to open over the next few days. Centers are accessible offices staffed by state, federal and volunteer organizations that let everyone access recovery information. As centers are added, real-time locations will be updated at FloridaDisaster.org.
• FEMA will pay hotel and motel costs for eligible survivors. FEMA and the state of Florida activated the Transitional Shelter Assistance Program, which allows FEMA to make payments directly to participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter to survivors. As of today, the program is providing housing for 350 households.
• More than 700 FEMA inspectors have performed over 24,000 home inspections for survivors who registered for federal disaster assistance.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $13.2 million in disaster loans to homeowners, renters and business owners.
• FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is issuing advance payments to help Floridians jumpstart their recovery. To date, FEMA has paid more than $17.5 million to Florida policyholders.
• NFIP policyholders may receive up to $1,000 to reimburse the purchase of supplies like sandbags, plastic sheeting and lumber. They may also receive up to $1,000 in storage expenses if they moved insured property. Policyholders should file a claim for flood loss avoidance reimbursement, regardless of if it was successful in preventing flood damage.
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to eligible survivors. Floridians should file a claim for loss of income caused by Hurricane Ian by going to Disaster Unemployment Assistance - FloridaJobs.org and selecting “Apply for Hurricane Ian DUA,” visiting a local CareerSource Career Center, or calling  800-385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
• Thousands of federal staff are supporting Ian response efforts. This includes over a thousand staff from other federal agencies.
• Operation Blue Roof is processing thousands of requests for temporary roof installations. The operation began installing roofs over the weekend. This is a free service provided to homeowners and is currently operating in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Lee and Sarasota counties. Residents impacted by Hurricane Ian can sign up at BlueRoof.us or call toll-free at 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) for more information. The call center will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
• National Flood Insurance Program Florida policyholders who had flood damage from the hurricane now have a 90-day window to renew their policies. The extension applies to policies with renewal dates beginning Aug. 25, through Oct. 23. Policyholders whose policy renewal date is in this range should contact their agent or insurance company. FEMA also extended the proof of loss requirement for flood insurance policyholders in Florida who suffered flood damage from Hurricane Ian from 60 to 365 days.  For more information on how to file a flood insurance claim, visit How to Start Your Flood Insurance Claim.
• FEMA approved Critical Needs Assistance for disaster survivors with immediate or critical needs because they are displaced from their primary dwelling. Immediate or critical needs are life-saving and life-sustaining items. This assistance is a one-time payment of $700 per household.

If you or a member of your household uses adaptive or accessibility items that were damaged by Hurricane Ian, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance for those items. For homeowners, items can include an exterior ramp, grab bars and a paved pathway to the home’s entrance from a vehicle. Awards do not count toward your Housing Assistance or Personal Property maximum awards. For more information for homeowners and renters, visit Update to FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide.