News and Media: Disaster 4673

A week after widespread flooding in Florida from Hurricane Ian, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program policyholders are beginning to receive funds to help jumpstart their recovery. To date, FEMA has provided $3.5 million in advance payments to policyholders who have started the claim process. FEMA has also taken steps to ease burdens on its policyholders as they begin to clean up and repair, including allowing some who need to renew policies to take advantage of flood insurance benefits.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams helped Hurricane Ian survivors at a “one day only” registration intake center at the Rural Heritage Center in Geneva, Florida, Seminole County today, as assistance teams continue to go door to door to meet people where they are and help survivors with their unique needs. Mobile Registration Intake Centers are opening throughout the state. Survivors can visit these sites for help applying for assistance.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced today that President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. made additional disaster assistance available to the state of Florida by authorizing an increase in the level of federal funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures undertaken in the state of Florida as a result of Hurricane Ian beginning Sept. 23, 2022 and continuing.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will join President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. today to survey heavily damaged areas and meet with Gov. Ron DeSantis and response officials about ongoing efforts to help survivors and hard-hit communities in Florida. FEMA has already registered hundreds of thousands of households of Floridians and continues going door to door in 11 counties assisting with applications and answering questions about types of federal assistance available.  

The State of Florida and FEMA are operating a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Lee County.