Hurricane Milton survivors face delays as FEMA aid remains unavailable

In the wake of Hurricane Milton, many Floridians are facing the daunting task of rebuilding their lives, but financial assistance from the government is in short supply.

Both FEMA and the Small Business Administration’s Disaster Loan Program, two of the primary sources of relief for those affected by disasters, are running low on funds, leaving many disaster survivors in limbo.

WINK News reporter Esly Davis spoke with Leanne, a homeowner in Englewood whose lake house was ravaged by Hurricane Milton.

The search for help has been fraught with challenges. Leanne’s home was overwhelmed by floodwaters—nearly a foot and a half inside and three feet outside—making it unlivable.

“I got three times the level of water in my house than I did with [Hurricane] Helene,” Leanne shared. “I have a total loss. I have to gut my whole house. I have nowhere to live. I gotta stay with friends.”

Leanne is now on the road with her cats, displaced from her dream home, which she said has never flooded before—until now.

“It’s just so sad. We had the perfect private waterfront house… no neighbors in sight. It was perfect, all the way. It’s an old house that never flooded, ever. And now, twice in two weeks? The water was 14 to 18 inches high inside, but outside it was up to 36 inches.”

As Leanne sought assistance from FEMA, she encountered another obstacle. Despite needing immediate help, she found that she couldn’t apply for FEMA disaster relief for Hurricane Milton because the website wasn’t accepting applications.

“I went to apply for Milton, but it wasn’t showing up on the website,” Leanne explained. “So I called, and they told me they’re not accepting applications.”

This delay is due to the fact that President Biden has yet to issue a major disaster declaration for Hurricane Milton.

Without this declaration, FEMA cannot begin processing aid requests from survivors like Leanne.

At a recent press conference, FEMA officials confirmed that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already submitted a request for an expedited disaster declaration and is working to push it through as quickly as possible.

“We’re pushing it through as quickly as possible so we can bring the necessary resources to Floridians impacted by this event,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said.

In the meantime, FEMA is urging survivors to take specific steps while they wait for assistance to become available. These steps include:

• Documenting all damage
• Beginning cleanup efforts and keeping all receipts
• Filing insurance claims for both homeowners and flood policies

However, for Leanne, the delays and uncertainty have become too much to bear.

“We’re done,” Leanne said. “Once we get the house together, we’re selling and moving out to the mountains.”

Criswell told WINK that she expects President Biden’s disaster declaration to be announced either soon, which would finally open the door for online applications and much-needed relief for those affected by Hurricane Milton.

For now, residents like Leanne can only wait and hope that help arrives soon.

UPDATE: President Biden approves federal aid for Florida after Hurricane Milton