Applying for FEMA Assistance if Your Home is a Boat

If a boat was your primary residence before and during Hurricane Idalia making landfall in Florida – and the boat sustained hurricane damage - FEMA may be able to help. Survivors living in one of the counties designated for federal assistance are encouraged to apply.

• The designated counties are Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, and Taylor.
• Living on a boat is a unique situation, but you may qualify for FEMA assistance.
• If the boat was not located on private property, you will need to provide the physical and complete address of the dock or marina and the slip or mooring number.
• If you don’t provide a slip or mooring number, it may result in your application becoming attached to another boat or boats at the same address. This will cause delays in processing your application.
• You cannot use a P.O. Box as your primary address, but you can use it as a mailing address.

To apply for FEMA assistance, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA app for smartphones, visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator (fema.gov) or call 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET seven days a week.