Joe Biden

Press Release - FEMA Provides More Resources, Funding for Florida's Recovery

October 06, 2022

WASHINGTON -- Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. granted an additional 30 days of 100% federal funding for debris removal and emergency protective actions, ensuring the first 60 days of response and recovery are all federally funded. Starting today, FEMA will have three Disaster Recovery Centers available for Florida residents.

How FEMA is Helping Floridians

  • FEMA will begin directly paying hotel and motel costs to house survivors from the hardest hit counties. FEMA approved Florida's request for Transitional Sheltering Assistance. Survivors in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Osceola and Sarasota counties can participate. FEMA directly pays hotel costs at participating hotels and motels in Alabama, Florida and Georgia that provide emergency shelter to survivors.
  • Nearly 300 Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists are going door-to-door in Florida to help survivors apply for assistance. The teams are in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia counties. These teams have helped nearly 250,000 survivors apply for assistance.
  • FEMA and state partners are continuing to open Disaster Recovery Centers across the state. FEMA and its state partners opened a center in Lee County, and two more centers will be opening in Ft. Myers and North Port. Additional centers will open in the weeks to come. Centers are accessible offices staffed by state, federal and volunteer organizations that let everyone access recovery information. As centers are added, real-time locations will be updated at FloridaDisaster.org.
    • Lee County Disaster Recovery Center, Lakes Regional Library, 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers, FL 33919
  • FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program is issuing advance payments. To date, Florida policyholders have received $3.5 million to help Floridians jumpstart their recoveries.
  • Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to eligible survivors. Floridians should file a claim for loss of income caused by Hurricane Ian by going to Disaster Unemployment Assistance - FloridaJobs.org and select "Apply for Hurricane Ian DUA," visit a local CareerSource Career Center, or call 800-385-3920. Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. ET.
  • FEMA's feeding partners have served 1 million meals to survivors. FEMA's partners, including the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Operation BBQ, and the Southern Baptist Church,have field kitchens and canteens in the hardest hit counties that are operational. More sites are coming.
  • More than 4,700 people and 200 pets have been rescued by federal, state and local teams. Visit missing.fl.gov if you or someone you know needs assistance or a safety check. Safe and found persons can be reported safe at safe.fl.gov. Rescue efforts and power restoration, with a focus on hospitals, healthcare facilities and barrier island communities continue to be top priorities.
  • More than 2,800 FEMA staff are supporting Ian response efforts. More than 1,300 other federal staff are assisting with the Ian response. More than 1,800 emergency management personnel from 26 states were deployed to Florida through an Emergency Management Assistance Compact.
  • FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program Florida policyholders who had flood damage from the hurricane now have a 90-day window to renew their policies. The extension applies to policies with renewal dates beginning Aug. 25 through Oct. 23. Policyholders whose policy renewal date is in this range should contact their agent or insurance company.
  • FEMA also extended the proof of loss requirement for flood insurance policyholders in Florida who suffered flood damage from Hurricane Ian from 60 to 365 days.
  • FEMA approved Critical Needs Assistance for disaster survivors who have immediate or critical needs because they are displaced from their primary dwelling. Immediate or critical needs are life- saving and life-sustaining items. This assistance is a one-time payment of $700 per household.

Joseph R. Biden, Press Release - FEMA Provides More Resources, Funding for Florida's Recovery Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/358268

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