Working For You, Fighting For Us

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a dangerous Category 3 storm last night and weakened to a Category 1 as it cut through the state and moved offshore, according to the National Hurricane Center. We are support response efforts here in Central Florida, and this is our Hurricane Milton Guide for Orange County.

In House District 42 and need help with debris pick up? Request assistance here.

 

This guide was last updated on October 24, 2024 at 5:00pm EST.

FEMA Individual Assistance Now Available

President Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Florida, meaning that people in nearly three-dozen counties affected by Hurricane Milton can now get FEMA aid.

Individual Assistance is available to individuals and households in need of financial and direct services who have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs. Individual Assistance is available in Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia Counties and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Individuals can apply in multiple ways, including:

*Please note, those constituents with damages from both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton will need to submit two forms outlining damages from each storm.

Through the Public Assistance Grant Program, FEMA provides supplemental federal disaster grant assistance to State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local governments, and certain types of private nonprofit organizations for the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities. Public Assistance is available in Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter and Volusia Counties and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

Housing: With the declaration for Individual Assistance, FDEM has also formally requested disaster housing assistance for eligible residents in declared counties. Specifically, the state has requested the following four programs:

  • Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA):Provides direct hotel lodging to displaced survivors for up to 6 months
  • Clean & Sanitize assistance: Provides a one-time payment of $300 to homeowners and renters with habitable homes.
  • Non-Congregate Sheltering (NCS): Provides disaster survivors with hotel rooms or travel trailers for up to 6 months.
  • Direct Temporary Housing: Provides eligible disaster survivors placement in a travel trailer, mobile home or apartment for up to 18 months.

In-person FEMA application assistance given in Central Florida counties

FEMA representatives will help those seeking individual assistance in Brevard, Lake and Orange Counties. Click here for locations.

Economic and Food Security

Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)

  • We are waiting for updates as it pertains to the state’s request for DUA.

DSNAP

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that people in Florida recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton may be eligible for food assistance through USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Approximately 407,733 households in 24 Florida counties are estimated to be eligible for this relief to help with grocery expenses.
  • Through this program, which USDA makes available through states in the aftermath of disasters, people who may not be eligible for SNAP in normal circumstances can participate if they meet specific criteria, including disaster income limits and qualifying disaster-related expenses.

  • Florida will operate its D-SNAP application in three phases:

    • For Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties, applications will be accepted by phone Oct. 28 through Oct 31, and onsite applications will be taken for a three-day period in each county starting Nov. 1 through Dec. 9.
    • For Charlotte, Hernando, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties, applications will be accepted by phone Nov. 4 and Nov. 6 through Nov. 8, and onsite applications will be taken for a three-day period in each county starting Nov. 9 through Dec. 3.
    • For Citrus, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, and Volusia counties, applications will be accepted by phone Nov. 12 through Nov. 15, and onsite applications will be taken for a three-day period in each county starting Nov. 16 through Dec. 15.
  • Learn more here. 

SNAP Replacement

  • SNAP Recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Milton can apply for food replacement by completing the form below. To apply, individuals must:
    • Be a current SNAP Recipient
    • Complete the form by October 19th, 2024.
    • Households are required to provide verification of having a power outage of 4 or more hours or damage that caused food loss to their MYACCESS Account, except for households located in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, and Volusia.
    • For households in the following counties, complete the online replacement form and upload supporting verification of food loss to your MyACCESS Portal using “Other” as the document type.
      • Brevard, Clay, Duval, Glades, Hendry, Indian River, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, and Sumter.
  • Click here to access the SNAP Replacement form.

Business Relief

 
 

Operation Blue Tarp

Operation Blue Roof is a priority mission managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The purpose of Operation Blue Roof is to provide homeowners and permanently occupied rental properties in disaster areas with fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover their damaged roofs until arrangements can be made for permanent repairs. This is a free service to homeowners. Operation Blue Roof protects property, reduces temporary housing costs, and allows residents to remain in their homes while recovering from the storm.”

Please visit blueroof.gov for details. The website lists qualification details, what’s covered, how to apply, and more.

If you have any questions about the program, please refer to the website.

Vegetative Debris Drop-off For Orange County

Beginning Monday, October 14, 2024, designated drop-off sites will accept non-commercial yard waste, including leaves, branches, and other natural debris. The sites will be open Monday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sites will not be accessible to the public before Monday. Sites include:

  • Conway Water Treatment Plant – 3590 Manatee Street, Orlando, FL 32822
  • Harrell Road – 8503 Trevarthon Road, Orlando, FL 32817
  • Zellwood Maintenance Unit – 3500 Golden Gem Road, Apopka, FL 32712

The sites will accept only loose vegetative debris—no bags or containers. White goods (large household appliances) and other household items will not be accepted. Contractors, lawn care, or commercial companies are prohibited from using these drop-off sites. Upon arrival, residents must present a valid driver’s license, utility bill, or other official document verifying Orange County residency. Residents can use the County’s interactive map to find their nearest drop-off site.

 

Curbside Debris Removal

Orange County Government expects to begin its storm curbside debris removal for unincorporated Orange County by Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. Two debris contractors and one debris monitor will be deployed with heavy-duty equipment to consolidate and remove storm-related debris. Contractors will collect piles at the curb that are too large to be picked up through the County’s residential curbside collection program. Residents are encouraged to separate debris by type—vegetative, white goods, household items, etc.—and place it at the curb for collection as soon as possible.

To expedite the cleanup process, residents are encouraged to bring yard waste debris to one of the County’s three vegetative debris drop-off sites, open Monday, Oct. 14, through Sunday, Oct. 20.

 

Post Hurricane Flood Concerns

If you are worried about potential flooding and are in the City of Orlando, you can report the concern here at this link. If you are outside the City of Orlando, please dial 311 for assistance.

 

School Schedules

We encourage you to check in with your local school district and/or higher ed institution to learn when schools will open or close in your area. Here are the landing pages for local schools in the area:

OCPS Update: Due to the number of instructional minutes in our students’ schedule we will only need to make up one of the four days missed due to Hurricane’s Helene and Milton. The make-up day for today will be Friday, Oct. 25 as published in the prioritized bad weather days.

 

Road Conditions

Stay updated on road conditions through www.FL511.com and the Florida 511 app. This information is updated in real time – it is a great resource to understand which roadways are closed and open.

 

Orlando International Airport

The Orlando International Airport is open and operational for all commercial flights. Please check with your airline directly for any specific updates prior to your travels.

Court System

Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida:Courthouses will reopen on Monday.

Need to File a Hurricane Claim?

The Florida Division of Consumer Services has made available this website available to help with filing insurance claims.

Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate is a resource to help Floridans in filing their insurance claims. Click here to learn more, and be weary of fraud when seeking help with filing an insurance claim.

You can also contact your State House Representative or State Senator, as Florida’s property insurance system is broken and your local electeds should hear from you. Click here to identify you local representatives.

There are three key actions Floridians in the projected path of the storm can take to be more financially prepared:

  1. Gather copies of insurance policies. Floridians should make sure they have copies of their insurance policies (home, flood, and auto) in a safe, dry, and accessible location.
  2. Save their insurer’s contact info. Floridians should save their insurer’s toll-free claims number to their cell phone’s contacts. APCIA has a list of insurer’s toll-free claims numbers here.
  3. Make a home inventory. Floridians should make a home inventory by using their smartphone to take photos or videos of their belongings, such as furniture, appliances, clothes, lawn equipment, art, jewelry, and anything else of significant value. The home inventory should be saved to a place where it can easily be retrieved, like the cloud. Many insurers also offer an app that can help with creating a home inventory.

How to Avoid Fraud

Sadly, we know all too well that fraudsters take advantage of significant events like this storm to prey upon the vulnerable.  Please take a look at this pamphlet titled “Avoiding Fraud with Disaster Repairs” for guidance on scams to be on the lookout for following a hurricane andplease share this information far and wide.

If needed, FDACS has opened up the consumer hotline to receive complaints from impacted consumers.

You can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or visiting fdacs.gov.FloridaCommerce — formerly DEO — has activated the private sector hotline at 850-815-4925 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Important Hurricane Terms to Know

Here are some important terms you may hear:

  • Tropical Storm Watch: Tropical storm conditions are possible in the area.
  • Hurricane Watch: Hurricane conditions are possible in the area.
    Watches are issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical storm force winds.
  • Tropical Storm Warning: Tropical storm conditions are expected in the area.
  • Hurricane Warning: Hurricane conditions are expected in the area.
    Warnings are issued 36 hours in advance of tropical storm force winds.
  • Eye: Clear, sometimes well-defined center of the storm with calmer conditions.
  • Eye Wall: Surrounding the eye, contains some of the most severe weather of the storm with the highest wind speed and largest precipitation.
  • Rain Bands: Bands coming off the cyclone that produce severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, wind and tornadoes.
  • Storm Surge: An often underestimated and deadly result of ocean water swelling as a result of a landfalling storm, and quickly flooding coastal and sometimes areas further inland.
  • Tornado Watch: Be Prepared! Tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. Be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or if you suspect a tornado is approaching.
  • Tornado Warning: Take Action! A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
  • Tornado Emergency: Seek Shelter Immediately! There is a severe threat to human life and property, with catastrophic damage confirmed. Immediately seek refuge in the safest location possible.