Eligible Pinellas County residents and business owners can receive federal assistance for damages caused by Hurricane Hermine during the period of Aug. 31 to Sept. 11.
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams will be in the community over the weekend to explain the disaster relief program and encourage application. FEMA staff will be wearing FEMA staff shirts and have FEMA ID tags.
President Barack Obama signed a Florida Disaster Declaration on Sept. 28 and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Hermine.
Disaster relief is available for residential or business damages, large or small, sustained during Hurricane Hermine that are not covered by personal insurance, including:
- Temporary Housing
- Home Repair (including septic or sewer system, well or other water system, HVAC, Utilities)
- Home Replacement: Under extreme conditions and as limited funding may allow
- Other Needs Assistance provides grants for uninsured, disaster‐related necessary expenses and serious needs. Flood insurance may be required on insurable items (personal property) if they are to be located in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Assistance includes:
o Medical and dental expenses.
o Funeral and burial costs.
o Repair, cleaning or replacement of clothing, household items (room furnishing, appliances), specialized tools or protective clothing and equipment required for the applicant’s job, necessary educational materials (computers, school books, supplies).
o Clean‐up items (wet/dry vacuum, air purifier, dehumidifier).
o Fuel for primary heat source (heating oil, gas).
o Repairing or replacing vehicles damaged by the disaster, or providing for public transportation or other transportation costs.
o Moving and storage expenses related to the disaster (including storage or the return of property to a pre‐disaster home).
o Other necessary expenses or serious needs (for example: towing, or setup or connecting essential utilities for a housing unit not provided by FEMA).
o The cost of a National Flood Insurance Program group flood insurance policy to meet the flood insurance requirements.
Federal funding is also available to state, tribal and eligible local governments as well as certain private, nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by Hurricane Hermine. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Individuals making claims must first register their loss with FEMA via any of the following methods:
- Apply online to www.disasterassistance.gov;
- Contact FEMA by smart phone or tablet using the FEMA app or going to https://www.fema.gov/ or;
- Call the FEMA toll-free number 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Telephone lines are answered from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.
A Disaster Recovery Center will be established in the coming days for in-person applications and to provide additional information to those wishing to apply. Location and hours of operation information will be released as soon as it is made available.
More information is available online at www.fema.gov/recovery-directorate/assistance-individuals-and-households.
Low interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are also available to help with residential or business losses not covered by insurance. Information on SBA disaster loans may be obtained by calling (800) 659-2955 and (800) 877-8339 (TTY), or by going online to https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
The Small Business Administration filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 28, 2016. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 28, 2017.
For more information on emergency preparedness, visit www.pinellascounty.org/emergency.
The Pinellas County “Doing Things for You” app is available for residents to report issues and access useful resources. Pinellas County can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. More information is available on the county website, www.pinellascounty.org, which features LiveChat for assistance. Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.