FEMA Advisory
To accelerate the removal of debris from Hurricane Ian in Florida, FEMA is providing limited waivers to the application process for Public Assistance Private Property Debris Removal/Commercial Property Debris Removal.
In areas designated with severe damage, FEMA will waive the requirement for approval of applicants for all storm-related residential debris and commercial right-of-way debris. Determinations of severe damage are based on the best available data: damage assessments and storm impact data, to include wind damage, storm surge and flood inundation.
More than $1.67 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments has been provided to the State of Florida and to households after Hurricane Ian. FEMA has provided $680 million to households and $322 million to the state for emergency response, while the U.S. Small Business Administration has provided $429 million in disaster loans and the National Flood Insurance Program has paid $244 million in claims.
How FEMA is helping Floridians:
- FEMA will provide temporary housing to eligible
Hurricane Ian survivors in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Lee and Sarasota
counties. FEMA approved Direct Temporary
Housing Assistance to provide options for those whose homes are
uninhabitable because of the hurricane. FEMA determined that rental
assistance is insufficient to meet the housing need in those counties
because of a lack of available housing resources. FEMA will notify
applicants who are eligible for direct housing. It will take time to
transport, permit, install and inspect these units before they are
available. Direct Temporary Housing Assistance may be provided for up to
18 months from Sept. 29, 2022, the date of the federal disaster
declaration, to March 28, 2024.
- FEMA has made individual assistance available to 26
counties in Florida. Residents in Brevard, Charlotte,
Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough,
Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach,
Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia
counties are eligible to apply for Individual Assistance.
- FEMA is meeting survivors where they are to help
jumpstart their recoveries. Disaster Survivor Assistance
specialists are going door-to-door in Florida neighborhoods to help
individuals register for assistance. These teams have interacted with
almost 77,000 survivors in counties designated for Individual Assistance.
- Survivors can visit one of 23 Disaster Recovery
Centers operating in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto,
Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee (2 locations),
Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota,
Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties. More centers are planned.
Interpretation services and translated materials are available at these
centers to help survivors communicate in the language with which they feel
most comfortable. Disaster Recovery Center locations are chosen for their
accessibility, with the goal of reaching as many people as possible. As
centers are added, real-time locations will be updated at FloridaDisaster.org.
- FEMA expanded Transitional Sheltering Assistance to
seven more counties bringing to a total 26 counties that are eligible for
temporary hotel stays for survivors who cannot remain in their homes
because of storm damage. As of today, the program is
providing housing for
2,362 households with 5,966 members.
- Hundreds of FEMA inspectors have performed over 178,000
home inspections for survivors who applied for federal disaster
assistance.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved
$429 million in low-interest disaster loans to
homeowners, renters and business owners. Business Recovery Centers are
located in Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee and Seminole counties.
- As of Oct. 29, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) has received more than 43,000 flood insurance claims and
paid more than $244 million to policyholders, including $142 million in
advance payments.
- 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 whether it was successful in
preventing flood damage.
- FEMA
is conducting local hiring for more than 300 jobs in Brandon, Fort Myers,
Kissimmee, Orlando and Sarasota. These positions are full-time, 120-day
appointments that may be extended depending on operational needs.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online through USAJobs.gov.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to
eligible survivors. Floridians can 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.
- Low-income Florida residents recovering from
Hurricane Ian may be eligible for assistance from the Department of
Agriculture’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Survivors can find more information on Florida’s D-SNAP program by visiting
the Florida Department of Children and Families’ Hurricane
Ian Response & Recovery website.
- Operation Blue Roof has installed 17,321 roofs. 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. ET.
- National Flood Insurance Program Florida
policyholders who had flood damage from the hurricane 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 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 experienced 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.
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
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