More than $150 million in federal disaster assistance has been disbursed to Hurricane Ian survivors since the declaration of a federal disaster. Assistance helps them with temporary housing, essential home repairs, and other uninsured and underinsured disaster-related losses so they can speed up their recovery. Disaster survivor assistance teams continue to go door-to-door to meet people where they are and help survivors meet their unique needs.
How FEMA Helps Floridians
- FEMA will pay hotel and motel costs for eligible survivors in counties hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. Yesterday, FEMA and the State of Florida activated the Transitional Shelter Assistance Program, providing eligible support to survivors in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia counties. FEMA makes these payments directly to participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter to survivors.
- Hundreds of disaster survivor assistance specialists are going door-to-door in Florida to help survivors seek help. The teams are in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia..
- FEMA and its state partners now operate five disaster recovery centers across the state. Centers are open in Collier, Charlotte and Sarasota counties, with two centers operating in Lee County. Other centers are expected to open in the coming days. Centers are accessible offices operated by state, federal, and voluntary organizations that allow everyone to access recovery information. As centers are added, real-time locations will be updated on FloridaDisaster.org.
- More than 700 FEMA inspectors are on the ground visiting the homes of survivors who have registered for federal disaster assistance. To date, they have performed over 14,000 inspections.
- FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) issues advance payments. To date, policyholders in Florida have received more than $5.9 million to help Floridians jump-start their recovery.
- NFIP policyholders can receive up to $1,000 to reimburse the purchase of supplies such as sandbags, plastic sheeting and firewood. They can also receive up to $1,000 in storage costs if they move insured property. Policyholders must file a claim to avoid flood losses, whether or not they were successful in preventing flood damage.
- Disaster unemployment assistance is available to eligible survivors. Floridians should file a claim for lost earnings 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.
- More than 4,400 federal employees support Ian’s response efforts. This includes more than 1,500 employees from other federal agencies. More than 1,800 emergency management personnel from 26 states have been deployed to Florida under an emergency management assistance contract.
- Operation Blue Roof is a free service for homeowners and currently operates in Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Lee and Sarasota counties. The first complete installation of the roof is expected today. Residents affected by Hurricane Ian can register at BlueRoof.us or call toll-free 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.
- Florida National Flood Insurance Program policyholders who suffered damage from the hurricane now have a 90-day window to renew their policy. The extension applies to policies with renewal dates beginning August 25 through October 23. Policyholders with renewal dates within this range should contact their agent or insurance company. FEMA also extended the proof of loss requirement from 60 to 365 days for Florida flood insurance policyholders who suffered damage from Hurricane Ian.
- FEMA has 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 someone in 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, elements may include an exterior ramp, grab bars, and a paved path leading to the entry of the house from a vehicle. Rewards do not count towards your housing assistance or maximum personal property rewards. For more information for landlords and renters, see Updated Individual Assistance Program and FEMA Policy Guide.
