“I’m strong but I’m mentally about to break”
On Tuesday morning, the line stretched to the other side of the parking lot outside FEMA’s disaster recovery center at the Florida Botanical Gardens off Ulmerton Road in Largo. Though the center didn’t open until 9 a.m., people started lining up at 6 a.m. Those who arrived after 9 a.m. expected to spend their entire day waiting for the chance to speak with a FEMA agent.
Maureen Clancey was among them. Clancey and her family are staying in an Airbnb after Hurricane Milton made her home near Lake Seminole unlivable, she said.
“We rode out the storm with my 7-month-old great granddaughter attached to my chest because the water was coming through,” she described.
Maureen hit the FEMA line in hopes the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be able to help her pay for more long-term housing.
“We can only stay in an Airbnb so long,” she said. “I watched our wedding album go floating down the street- 42 years,” Clancey said.
Tane Fillyau has three children and decided to visit the center because she feels like she’s been getting the runaround after applying for FEMA assistance following Hurricane Helene.
“I’m strong, but mentally I’m about to break because you’re tired of always getting different answers,” she said. “I stay on the phone for hours and hours just to be told call back tomorrow,” she said.
FEMA approvals soar
According to FEMA, more than 730,000 applications for assistance in Florida have been approved following Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton. More than $263 million has been handed out to eligible survivors, according to numbers provided to us by FEMA on Tuesday afternoon.
According to FEMA, just over $206 million has been allocated to victims of Hurricane Milton alone. This week, more than 250,000 applications were submitted in one day, a record-breaking day for FEMA.
Kate Bulger of Money Management International helps people file claims with FEMA or their insurance company. Bulger said that while most FEMA applications are approved, simple mistakes can prevent them from being approved.
Simple reasons your FEMA application may get denied:
- Details matter
- Take lots of pictures
- Spelling errors- names, social security numbers, and addresses must be accurate.
“I think the biggest issue that keeps people from getting approved is after a disaster, there are so many things that are pulling people's attention, and those FEMA applications are really detailed, they ask for a lot of information,” she said.
As a result, Bulger advises FEMA applicants to take lots of pictures and be prepared to provide supporting evidence along with their own information.
“All the time, we talk to people who applied and were rejected because they forgot to take a picture of their driver's license, or they took a picture three walls in their kitchen, but they forgot the fourth wall. It's those little bitty details that are the easiest to miss,” she said.
Applicants should also remember that FEMA won’t cover what your insurance already does. Finally, be accurate with the spelling of names and other details, including social security numbers and home addresses. One letter or number off could result in your claim being denied and you waiting that much longer for the help so many of us are in desperate need of right now.
Homeowners and renters can apply online at more on FEMA DisasterAssistance.gov or by using the FEMA App.
You can also apply by phone at 800-621-3362.
"1 in 500 chance of flooding"
Some Zone X, or non-flood zone, neighborhoods across Tampa Bay saw unprecedented flooding after Hurricane Milton. Now residents are left with water damage to their homes and are looking for answers.
