Financial help may be held up by missed communications or a lack of documentation.
By Johannes Werner
Original Air Date: March 12, 2025
Host: If your home was damaged during one of last season’s storms, the deadline has passed to apply for financial help from FEMA. But if you are already in the system and have not heard from them lately, the federal agency wants to let you know that they are here to help. We talked to Jassiel Olivero Melo, FEMA media relations specialist on the Suncoast.
Johannes Werner: Olivero Melo is one of 1,000 FEMA representatives still on the ground in Florida after last year’s devastating storm season. The federal agency has already approved more than $1 billion in aid to help homeowners and communities with losses from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
Casey Key the day after Milton made landfall. Photo by Ramon Lopez.
In the area affected by Milton—which made landfall on Siesta Key—8,280 households have applied for FEMA assistance. That’s more than 20,000 people, three or four out of every 100 area residents. Each household can get up to $42,500 in FEMA assistance.
But more applications are still in the system, and they may be moving slowly or are stuck because of lack of documentation or communication. So, if you have applied, Olivero is encouraging you to closely check your phone for any communications you may have missed. If finding documents is causing your holdup, FEMA agents can also help with that.
Jassiel Olivero Melo: There are people that have to supply documentation. Let’s say that I’m applying for assistance and they don’t know who I am. I need my ID, proof of residential area or where I was living at the time of the disaster, and—believe it or not—sometimes people relocate, and when people relocate, it takes a little bit of time trying to find them. That can cause a delay or a prolonged time for processing. There may still be a lot of applications in progress because of that. People don’t pick up unknown numbers, and that’s a reason why FEMA [unintelligible]. Please pick up the phone if you see an unknown number or maybe a strange area code so they can get in touch.
Photo via City of Sarasota.
JW: Even though FEMA has routinely bailed out Florida, the agency doesn’t like to be called an insurer of last resort. It’s here to assist with basic needs to help start your recovery from disaster. That includes help to make essential home repairs, find a temporary place to stay, and repair or replace household items. Olivero:
JOM: FEMA is not going to make you whole. FEMA is going to support you and help you to make your house habitable and sanitary so you can go back to your house and you don’t suffer from any kind of health issues—you don’t have any kind of safety issue inside of your facility—but it’s not going to make you whole again.
JW: Another reminder: If you lost everything, let FEMA know so they understand how best to help you.
JOM: Communication is always the key. Let FEMA know: What is the situation the current applicant is overcoming or is going through? Because we don’t know.
JW: You would not be an outlier.
Casey Key Road in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Photo via Sarasota County (@srqcountygov) on Instagram.
JOM: The disaster was very tough—was very huge in different counties, not only here in Manatee and Sarasota. It was substantial damage. There were a lot of properties that had substantial damage. They lost everything. Maybe because they were close to the shore or however they were built, and it was back-to-back disasters. It wasn’t only one. We’re talking about Debby, Helene and Milton. We have applicants who were impacted by the three of them.
JW: FEMA mitigation specialists are available for advice on how to rebuild better against storms for the next three days. Agents will be available through this Saturday, March 15, at two local Home Depot stores—in Manatee County on East State Road 64, in Sarasota on Cattleman Road. They’ll be there through 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. Also on hand at those locations are specialists who can answer flood insurance questions.
Even better than checking for phone calls and emails is the FEMA app, which helps you keep track of your application.
Other ways to get in touch: www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or call 800-621-3362.
Johannes Werner, reporting for WSLR News.
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