Flagler County suffered an estimated $18.8 million in damages countywide from Hurricane Milton, and officials encourage affected property owners to apply for disaster assistance through FEMA if they do not have adequate insurance coverage.
The first step is to register for FEMA assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. Early information indicates this registration period is likely to close around December 10. That date is subject to change, so it’s best not to wait.
Registrants will receive notification letters through the United States Postal Service or electronic mail explaining the next steps. Inspectors will contact residents who have stated they cannot live in their primary residences because of Hurricane Milton damage to schedule an inspection.
Financial assistance in the form of funds may be provided to an applicant, or housing may be provided by FEMA.
“Most housing assistance will be money to reimburse lodging expenses, provide help with rent, provide help with home repair, or – in a worst-case scenario – help with home replacement,” said Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord.
Other FEMA assistance may include the following:
- Displacement Assistance – up to two weeks of lodging-related needs based on a state-identified daily rate
- Serious Needs Assistance – a one-time payment of $770 for applicants with urgent needs who have received a home inspection
- Expanded Clean and Sanitize Assistance – a one-time payment of $300 for habitable homes that require cleaning like mucking and gutting
- Medical/Dental Assistance – money for disaster-caused medical or dental care
- Childcare Assistance – money for expenses related to disaster-caused disruption of childcare
- Personal Property Assistance – money to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property during a declared disaster that is not covered by insurance and needed to meet basic household needs
- Transportation Assistance – repair or replacement of a vehicle (one per household) made inoperable by a declared disaster.
- Moving and Storage Assistance – money related to the costs of moving to a new primary residence or for the storage of personal property during repairs
- Miscellaneous Assistance – money for reimbursable items rented or purchased after a declared disaster that is used for recovery or to gain access to a residence
- Group Flood Insurance Policy – covers three years of coverage but requires the applicant to get and maintain flood insurance afterward.
Hurricane Milton Damages by the numbers (as of 10:45 a.m. October 15)
- Damage Cost Estimate (Countywide) $18.8 M
- Unincorporated = $1.56 million
- Beverly Beach = $1.43 million
- Bunnell = $195,830
- Flagler Beach = $10.95 million
- Marineland = no data
- Palm Coast = $4.69 million
- Estimated Structural Debris (countywide) 145.3 K cubic yards
- Estimated Vegetative Debris (countywide) 43.4 K cubic yards
- Property damages:
- 308 affected (<20%)
- 70 minor (20 to 40%)
- 17 major (40 to 80%)
- 0 destroyed (>80%)
- 27 inaccessible
The Emergency Operations Call Center line is open at 386-313-4200 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
