ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Weeks after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, many of those impacted are still working to get back on their feet.
In the hard-hit St. Petersburg neighborhood of Shore Acres, dumpsters of debris, storage pods and construction crews are all still a present and common sight outside of homes.
“I think we got five or six jobs right now that are from flood damage,” said Katie Thomas with Hard Architectural Finishes, who was working on a home in St. Pete. “Everything had to be torn out and they are just now rehabbing.”
Many homes like it are still being worked on as others wait for insurance claims to be processed.
“All the drywall's out, we lost a lot of furniture, we lost everything,” Jillia Koger said about her home down the road.
Right now, total insured losses from the storm are approaching $260 million, and about 34% of all insurance claims are still open, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
“We’re renting a small apartment, we’re displaced from our house, going through insurance, waiting for insurance, it's just a slow process,” said Koger, whose family was able to get FEMA assistance to help cover rental costs for the next month.
“I can’t believe, you know I look at the calendar and it’s been a month and a half already and it's mind-boggling that we’ve been dealing with this for so long,” she added.
While the cleanup continues, FEMA has closed its local disaster recovery centers in Pinellas County but has extended the deadline for people to apply for federal assistance.
FEMA may be able to help with temporary lodging, basic home repair costs or other disaster-caused needs. Visiting a center in person is not a necessity to get help.
Call toll-free 800-621-3362, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App for mobile devices or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. The telephone line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
For Koger, the federal assistance has been some help in a time of uncertainty, alongside the warmth of the community that’s been through so much.
“We just count your blessings, we are healthy and we are safe,” she said.
If you prefer to visit a FEMA center in person, residents are free to visit open centers in other areas of the Tampa Bay region. You can find a list of locations and hours here.