Residents of Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee and Taylor counties who lost access to water because of a damaged private well or septic system as a result of Hurricane Idalia may be eligible for FEMA assistance.
What assistance is available?
For private wells and septic systems, FEMA may reimburse you for the cost of a professional, licensed technician to visit your home and prepare an estimate detailing the necessary repairs or replacement of your disaster-damaged systems.
In addition to the technician’s estimate, FEMA may also pay for the actual repair or replacement cost of your septic system or private well, which are not insurable items.
If you have applied for FEMA assistance and have not had a home inspection, you should call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. At the time of your inspection, let the FEMA inspector know you have a private well and/or septic system that may have been damaged by the storm.
If the damage is determined to have been caused by Hurricane Idalia, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance.
If you have already had an inspection and damage to the well or septic system wasn’t reported, contact the FEMA Helpline to learn about the appeals process and what FEMA will need to continue processing your application. Please keep your contractor’s statement, estimates or receipts for the disaster-caused damage to those items, and submit them with your written appeal letter to FEMA. You may refer to the FEMA eligibility letter you received for more information.
To apply for FEMA assistance, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App for mobile devices, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call toll-free 800-621-3362. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as VRS, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube. The deadline to apply is Oct. 30, 2023.