TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) installed the first temporary roof for the Operation Blue Roof program Saturday in Collier County.
“The first temporary roof installation is a significant milestone for people impacted by Hurricane Irma,” said Col. Jason Kirk, district commander. “The blue covers are a tangible sign to the community that ensuring their safety, security, and peace of mind is our top priority.”
Operation Blue Roof provides a temporary covering of blue plastic sheeting to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. The blue plastic sheeting is installed using strips of wood that are secured to the roof with nails or screws.
This program is available at no cost to eligible primary homeowners in Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties. Other counties may be added at a later date.
Only primary residences with standard shingled roofs are eligible to receive a temporary blue roof. Metal roofs and mobile homes may be repaired as practical on a case by case basis. Roofs with greater than 50 percent structural damage are not eligible for this program.
For rental property, legal permission for a blue roof to be installed must be obtained from the property owner. Renters must also obtain legal permission from their landlord to continue occupying the residence until more permanent repairs are made.
Homeowners must sign a Right of Entry (ROE) form to allow government employees and contractors onto their property to assess damage and install the temporary covering. ROE collection centers will be set up by Corps teams in convenient neighborhood locations. Updated information about collection center locations in each county will be distributed daily.
Right of Entry collection centers are located at:
COLLIER COUNTY
2800 North Horseshoe Dr.
Naples, FL 34104
The Growth Center
310 Alachua St.
Immokalee, FL 34142
LEE COUNTY
Lowe’s Home Improvement
8040 Dani Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33966
PINELLAS COUNTY
12629 Ulmerton Rd.,
Largo, FL 33774
SARASOTA COUNTY
Bee Ridge Park
4430 South Lockwood Ridge Road
Sarasota, FL 34231
Collection centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additional locations may be added as necessary.
Current information is available on the Jacksonville District web site at www.saj.usace.army.mil/BlueRoof and at 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258). Information is provided in both English and Spanish through this single number.
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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan.
However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.