FEMA Announces Federal Disaster Assistance Available to Seventeen Counties Affected by Hurricane Helene

FEMA announced Sunday that federal disaster assistance was approved by President Joe Biden and is now available to Hillsborough County residents as recovery efforts continue in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor and Wakulla counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. 

The City of Tampa has been completing private property damage assessments in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and preliminary numbers show dozens of properties have been destroyed, and nearly 2,000 private properties have sustained major damage. Within city limits, the assessments have estimated private property damages of just over a half a billion dollars. 

As residents look for contractors to assist with damages, Mayor Jane Castor wants to remind the public that fraud and scams are common after a disaster.

"Following a momentous storm like Hurricane Helene, qualified contractors are in high demand, so I want residents to be on the lookout for scammers who prey on Floridians in need of expert service," Mayor Castor said.

If residents have been approached to have work done on or at your home, they can check if that individual is licensed through the Dept of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) or myfloridalicense.com

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362 or by using the FEMA App.

If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.