Small FEMA travel trailers to be removed Aug. 1

Change is coming for dozens of families in FEMA trailers.

A FEMA spokesman said the agency told 80 families their temporary housing will be removed on Aug. 1.

What happens after that date depends on a lot of things.

A family of seven moved into two temporary mobile homes less than a week ago. And now, they were notified they will have to move come August because they are located in a flood zone.

A mother who lives there called WINK News and was on the verge of tears only to say FEMA called and said they made a mistake.

The family lost their Pine Island home more than six months ago during Hurricane Ian.

The wind tore through the structure and moved the property 6 to 7 feet over from where it originally sat.

“When I tell you, my son was like, just beside himself. At seven years old, you should not see, you know, your seven-year-old cry that way over his home, and he was so upset,” said Kathy Davis.

Davis said she applied for FEMA assistance one day after Ian.

One month ago, FEMA delivered two temporary trailer homes.

Five days ago, the Davis family moved in.

One day ago, FEMA told the family they would take the trailers back on Aug. 1, as the peak of hurricane season nears and the trailers are located in a flood zone.

But it turned out, only small travel trailers would be removed, a spokesman said.

“We thought we were gonna have them for a year to try to get our lives back together. And then to find out we only have them for four months,” Davis said.

Davis, her husband and five kids aren’t in a small travel trailer. They’re in these two, two bed-two bath temporary mobile housing units.

After WINK spoke with FEMA spokesman John Mills, Davis said she got a call from the agency saying they made a mistake.

The removal notice is only for small travel trailers, not mobile homes, like the Davis family is now in.

Before the call admitting the confusion, Davis spent a lot of time worrying.

“We have nowhere to go in four months,” she said.

She said she wants FEMA to help her family.

“That’s what FEMA is supposed to be,” she said. “And it feels like we’re getting hit twice by two hurricanes, one names Ian and one named FEMA.”

Mills said FEMA will work with people on alternate temporary housing options.

And if someone is confused about what they have been told, they should get in touch with FEMA.

“This does not affect people who are in commercial mobile home parks, or in a larger manufactured home like a mobile home, on private property or in a commercial Park,” Mills said.

David and her family are incredibly grateful this was all a mistake.