Additional assistance to aid in recovery from the impacts of Tropical Storm Debby was approved Thurday for additional Florida counties.
The Public Assistance declaration has been extended to include Bradford, Collier, Duval, Lee, Levy, Madison, Putnam, Santa Rosa and Taylor Counties. Individual Assistance has been approved for Hillsborough, Manatee and Taylor Counties.
Public Assistance provides grant assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures. Costs for repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly-owned facilities can also be covered under Public Assistance. To date twenty-nine counties have been approved for Public Assistance:
· Baker
· Bradford
· Charlotte
· Citrus
· Clay
· Collier
· Columbia
· Dixie
· Duval
· Franklin
· Gulf
· Hamilton
· Hernando
· Jefferson
· Lafayette
· Lee
· Levy
· Liberty
· Madison
· Manatee
· Nassau
· Pasco
· Putnam
· Santa Rosa
· Sarasota
· Suwannee
· Taylor
· Union
· Wakulla
Individual Assistance makes federal disaster assistance available for individuals and families. This assistance can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property loss and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance. To date, seventeen counties have been approved for Individual Assistance.
· Baker
· Bradford
· Clay
· Columbia
· Duval
· Franklin
· Hernando
· Highlands
· Hillsborough
· Manatee
· Nassau
· Pasco
· Pinellas
· Suwannee
· Taylor
· Union
· Wakulla
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in counties approved for Individual Assistance can begin applying for assistance starting by registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov, by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
Tropical Storm Debby made landfall June 27 in Steinhatchee, FL. Impacts from the storm were felt statewide. The primary concern from Tropical Storm Debby was the prolific amount of rainfall and the resulting flooding impacts. Six rivers across Florida reached major flood stage, and two rivers, the Sopchoppy and the St. Marys, reached record breaking crests.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 – November 30. To GET A PLAN! visit www.FloridaDisaster.org. For the latest information on the 2012 Hurricane Season, follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/flsert and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FloridaSERT.
