Tallahassee, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District, has been tasked by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist eligible homeowners with temporary roof repairs. The program, named Operation Blue Roof, provides a temporary covering of blue plastic sheeting to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. The blue plastic sheeting is installed using strips of wood that are secured to the roof with nails or screws.
Only primary residences that have standard shingled roofs are eligible to receive a temporary blue roof. Metal roofs and mobile homes will be repaired as practical on a case by case basis, and roofs with greater than 50 percent structural damage are not eligible for this program.
This program is available at no cost to eligible primary homeowners in Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pinellas, and Sarasota, counties. Renters must obtain legal permission to continue occupying the residence until more permanent repairs are made.
Homeowners must sign a Right of Entry (ROE) form to allow government employees and contractors onto their property to assess damage and install the temporary covering. ROE collection centers will be set up by Corps teams in convenient neighborhood locations. Updated information about collection center locations in each county will be distributed daily.
Right of Entry collection centers are located at:
COLLIER COUNTY: **Open Thursday, September 14
2800 North Horseshoe Dr., Naples, FL 34104
LEE COUNTY: **Open Thursday, September 14
Lowe’s Home Improvement, 8040 Dani Dr., Fort Myers, FL 33966
PINELLLAS COUNTY: **Opening Friday, September 15
The Outreach Center, 12875 Walsingham Rd., Largo, FL 337744
Centers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Additional locations may be added as necessary.
Current information is available on the Jacksonville District Web site at www.saj.usace.army.mil/BlueRoof and at 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258). Information is provided in both English and Spanish through this single number.
"The safety, security and peace of mind of the millions of people who were affected by Hurricane Irma is our priority," said Col. Jason A. Kirk, district commander. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a proud history of providing assistance when our citizens need it most. Whether it is providing ice, water, temporary housing or temporary roof repairs, we are on the job, and we will be on the job as long as we are needed."
For the most current information, please visit the Jacksonville District website at www.saj.usace.army.mil/BlueRoof or call 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258).
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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.