TALLAHASEE, Fla. –Three months after Hurricane Michael made landfall, communities continue recovery efforts with support from the State of Florida and federal agencies. More than $835.4 million in federal funds has been provided for homeowners, renters, businesses and flood insurance policyholders as of Jan. 9.
The State of Florida and local communities have removed more than 20 million cubic yards of debris,
a vital step in recovery operations. FEMA provided 1,952 households with temporary shelter in hotels since the storm struck, with 615 currently housed.
Total federal disaster assistance includes:
- Nearly $129.6 million in individual and household grants to provide financial help to those who have necessary expenses following the disaster and are unable to meet those needs through insurance or other means.
- Of that amount, more than $106 million includes housing assistance to help homeowners repair or replace residential property damage from the disaster that is not covered by insurance, and
- Nearly $23.5 million in Other Needs Assistance has aided survivors with funds to cover necessary disaster-related expenses such as medical bills; money to clean, repair or replace household items; to repair or replace vehicles damaged by the disaster and other non-housing needs.
- More than $565.2 million in U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans including
nearly $484.5 million to homeowners and renters and more than $80.7 million to businesses
to repair, rebuild and replace damaged property and contents and for economic injury. - More than $140.5 million in claims paid to 4,153 National Flood Insurance policyholders.
(As of Dec. 14)
Disaster recovery centers received more than 44,389 visitors seeking disaster assistance or information, while Disaster Survivor Assistance outreach teams have conducted more than 3,127 visits to community facilities, more than 5,918 to businesses, more than 112,949 home visits and made more than 30,000 referrals to whole community resources.
Registration is now closed, however informing FEMA of any changes to your contact information, insurance settlements or newly discovered additional damage helps avoid delays in getting you the assistance you need. Visit a DRC or contact FEMA if you need to ask questions about a letter you received. Survivors with extenuating circumstances may still apply for assistance.
Seven disaster recovery centers remain open to provide information and assistance. Survivors can find center locations with the FEMA mobile app, by visiting FEMA.gov/DRC, or by texting DRC and your ZIP code to 43362.
Contact FEMA by calling 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or VRS or require accommodations while visiting a center, call 800-621-3362. Toll-free numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST.
FEMA is helping state and local governments recover. Eighteen counties and the state are eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance program. Federal funding is available to reimburse communities and some nonprofits for the costs incurred for disaster cleanup, emergency actions taken to protect lives or property, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure.
As documentation is received from Public Assistance applicants, FEMA can review eligibility and develop the grant for reimbursement. Funding is provided to the state which then distributes to applicants according to their internal processes. FEMA staff are working regularly with state and local officials to gather documentation and ensure all eligible costs are reimbursed.
To date, there are 220 eligible applicants for Public Assistance including state agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofits.
For more Hurricane Michael recovery information, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4399 and www.FloridaDisaster.org
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during, and after disasters.
For a list of resources available to individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Michael, visit www.floridadisaster.org/info.
For more Hurricane Michael recovery information, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4399.
Follow FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management on Twitter at @FEMARegion4 and @FLSERT. You may also visit FEMA and the Division’s Facebook pages at Facebook.com/FEMA and Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.