Federal Support for Hurricane Ian Recovery Approaches $1.3 Billion, FEMA Provides More Than $595 Million in Individual Assistance to Jumpstart Recovery for Survivors

WASHINGTON — More than $1.27 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments have been provided to the state of Florida and to households to help survivors jump-start their recovery after the Hurricane Ian.

FEMA provided $595 million to households and $322 million to the state for emergency response, while the United States Small Business Administration provided $211 million in disaster loans and the National Flood Insurance Program paid $147 million in claims.

How FEMA helps Floridians:

• Policyholders of Florida’s National Flood Insurance Program who suffered damage from the hurricane have 90 days 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. For more information on how to file a flood insurance claim, visit How to Start Your Flood Insurance Claim.
• FEMA has made individual assistance available to 26 Florida counties. Residents of Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole , St. Johns and Volusia counties are eligible to request individual assistance.
• FEMA meets with survivors where they are to help jump-start their recovery. Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialists are going door to door in Florida neighborhoods helping people register for help. These teams interacted with more than 46,900 survivors in counties designated for individual assistance.
• Survivors can visit one of 16 Disaster Recovery Centers operating in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, Hardee, Highlands, Lake, Lee (2 locations), Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties. Other centers are expected to open in the coming days. Interpretation services and translated materials are available at these centers to help survivors communicate in the language with which they feel most comfortable. Disaster recovery center locations are chosen for their accessibility, with the aim of reaching as many people as possible. As centers are added, real-time locations will be updated on FloridaDisaster.org.
• FEMA will pay hotel and motel expenses for eligible survivors. FEMA and the State of Florida have activated the Transitional Shelter Assistance Program, which allows FEMA to make payments directly to participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter. emergency to survivors. To date, the program provides housing for nineteen eighty one households with 5,055 members. Hundreds of FEMA inspectors have performed on 147,000 home inspections for survivors who have applied for federal disaster assistance.
• Hundreds of FEMA inspectors have performed on 147,000 home inspections for survivors who have applied for federal disaster assistance.
• The United States Small Business Administration approved $211 million low interest disaster loans owners, tenants and contractors. Disaster recovery centers are located in Collier, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee and Seminole counties.
• FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has received more than 42,000 flood insurance claims and paid more than $147 million to policyholders, including $103 million in prepayments.
• 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 for eligible survivors. Floridians can 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.
• Low-income Florida residents recovering from Hurricane Ian may be eligible for assistance from the Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Survivors can find more information about Florida’s D-SNAP program by visiting the Florida Department of Children and Families’ Hurricane Ian Response & Recovery website.
• Operation Blue Roof installed 9,637 roofs. This is a free service provided to homeowners and currently operates in Charlotte, Collier, Desoto, Lee and Sarasota counties. 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.
• 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.