TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Milton tore through west and central Florida as a Category 3 storm, causing even further devastation in areas working to bounce back from Hurricane Helene.
Now, thousands are looking to rebuild in what is shaping up to be a long recovery process.
As about 2.4 million Floridians were without power, Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a news conference Friday to provide updates on the disaster-struck regions. The governor also amended his executive order to declare a state of emergency for 51 counties.
President Joe Biden vowed to assist with any federal aid possible. The White House said that FEMA has 20 million meals and 40 million liters of water to address ongoing Helene and Milton response efforts.
Below are resources those impacted by Milton can turn to:
FEMA disaster assistance
Information on how to access shelters and apply for assistance can be found at disasterassistance.gov. Residents can also call 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585.
SNAP, food benefits
Though the program made adjustments in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, it appears it's working through changes in the wake of Milton. Check here to keep up with adjustments in your area.
Disaster distress
Florida Assistance Information Line
The State Assistance Information Line is now open, according to DeSantis' office, and is accepting calls around the clock with English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole speakers available at 1-800-342-3557.
Disaster distress helpline
Call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. The national hotline provides free 24/7 crisis counseling for people experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing ASL callers can use a videophone or ASL Now.
Health help
Check if you qualify for temporary prescription refill waivers in Florida for those affected by Hurricane Milton.
Legal help
For legal help, the Florida Disaster Legal Aid Helpline offers free information and advice to those navigating FEMA-related assistance or other disaster-relief-related obstacles. People can call 833-514-2940 for help or apply online.
Finding loved ones
The Red Cross is assisting with finding friends and family impacted by the storm.
Missing children should be reported to 911. You can then contact 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) to get help from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Tampa-area help after Milton
Florida Disaster Fund
The Florida Disaster Fund plans to distribute donations to service organizations to help those specifically impacted by the state's most recent hurricanes.
It's Activate Hope arm pulls together the private sector, nonprofits, and government resources to "help Floridians get back on their feet following a natural disaster," connecting them with goods.
People can request help using this form.
Feeding Tampa Bay
People can turn to the food pantry for groceries. It's also hosting drive-thru/walk-up food pick-up for select areas where it is deemed safe to. People can find a pantry near them using their location tool.
For a calendar of food pick-up events, click here.
Uber & Lyft
Florida has partnered with rideshare companies Uber and Lyft to provide residents in mandatory evacuation zones free rides returning home from local shelters, according to the governor's office.
Here's how it works:
To get a ride with Uber, residents should: open the Uber app, tap Account on the bottom right and tap Wallet, and add promo code MILTONRELIEF1.
Lyft has activated the Lyft Up Disaster Response Program to provide free and discounted rides to help those in affected areas travel to and from designated shelters with critical resources. Riders can use code MILTONRELIEF24 for two rides up to $25 to and from state-approved shelters.
This story will be updated as more resources become available.