Jacob Ogles
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is activating almost 300 Disaster Survivor Assistance teams to help individuals seek federal assistance. They are being dispatched to go door-to-door in Collier, Hardee, Hillsborough, Polk and Seminole counties.
Disaster Recovery Centers are also being set up in Lee and Sarasota counties.
FEMA officials will help survivors of Hurricane Ian in the 19 counties declared as major disaster areas by President Joe Biden. The declarations make residents in those counties eligible for individual assistance.
In addition to traveling door-to-door, FEMA will set up in areas highly trafficked by those recovering from storms, including at designated shelters, food and water distribution sites, and grocery stores. The federal agency is also dispatching Mobile Registration Intake Centers in the area, where Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams will help with applications and inquiries.
FEMA advises that its own teams and staff typically wear FEMA-branded attire and will always be able to provide photo identification to verify they work with the federal agency. Individuals should ask to see such identification at a time when many imposters may try to scam survivors. FEMA never will charge for services.
The DSA teams will help individuals submit applications, check the status of applications in the system, make minor changes to requests, and provide civil rights and disability integration information to survivors who face specific challenges to accessing the information.
Applications for disaster assistance can be submitted online here. Survivors can also call a dedicated FEMA phone line at 800-621-3362. FEMA also has an app available for mobile devices. YouTube videos also can walk individuals with internet access through the application process.
Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa on Sept. 27, destroying many structures on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and the broader area, before traveling across the state and heading into the Atlantic Ocean in Volusia County.
