Seminole County FEMA site remains open for business weeks after Milton
By Danielle Prieur
November 18, 2024 at 4:10 PM EST
A FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is still open at Seminole State College for residents who need help applying for federal assistance following Hurricane Milton.
Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said 18,000 people in Seminole County have applied for assistance and a little more than $2.5 million has been provided.
Harris said the center will remain open at least for the next few weeks.
He said his team is actively fighting misinformation to get the message out there that federal assistance is still available to help Hurricane Milton survivors.
“There's also a myth out there right now that FEMA is out of money. That's absolutely not true. There is assistance that is available, and we want people to come to the disaster recovery center,” said Harris.
FEMA spokesperson Sara Zuckerman said with barely any lines or wait times, the site is the perfect spot to get help if a person has been denied assistance the first time around.
“At this point in the disaster, we want to make sure people are checking back to see if they're missing anything. If you get a letter that states that you may not be eligible, this is a great opportunity to come in and sort of figure out why and what you might need to to finish that application,” said Zuckerman.
The front of the FEMA DRC at Seminole State College. (1920x1440, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
At a Disaster Recovery Center you can get help with:
Disaster Recovery Centers are currently open in 26 counties in Florida including Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Okeechobee, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, Suwannee, Taylor and Volusia counties.
To find your nearest center go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. Go to DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA App to apply at home.
Even though the federal agency has distributed $440.2 million for Hurricane Milton survivors in Florida alone, it’s been hit with controversies over the last few months.
In October, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that a FEMA worker had been verbally harassed in Florida following Hurricane Milton. She said misinformation about the agency on social media was to blame.
Then last week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a civil rights complaint in federal court against FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and a now-fired FEMA worker.
The former FEMA worker Marn’i Washington instructed relief workers to avoid homes in Florida with Trump signs in their yards, when carrying out Hurricane Milton relief.
Criswell has since apologized, calling Washington’s actions a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles and reprehensible.
She is scheduled to appear before a house oversight committee this week.
Read the full complaint Attorney General Moody filed last week:
Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said 18,000 people in Seminole County have applied for assistance and a little more than $2.5 million has been provided.
Harris said the center will remain open at least for the next few weeks.
He said his team is actively fighting misinformation to get the message out there that federal assistance is still available to help Hurricane Milton survivors.
“There's also a myth out there right now that FEMA is out of money. That's absolutely not true. There is assistance that is available, and we want people to come to the disaster recovery center,” said Harris.
FEMA spokesperson Sara Zuckerman said with barely any lines or wait times, the site is the perfect spot to get help if a person has been denied assistance the first time around.
“At this point in the disaster, we want to make sure people are checking back to see if they're missing anything. If you get a letter that states that you may not be eligible, this is a great opportunity to come in and sort of figure out why and what you might need to to finish that application,” said Zuckerman.
The front of the FEMA DRC at Seminole State College. (1920x1440, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
At a Disaster Recovery Center you can get help with:
- Rent or lodging
- Home repair or replacement
- Replacing personal property
- Medical or dental care
- Transportation
- Child care
- Replacing important documents
Disaster Recovery Centers are currently open in 26 counties in Florida including Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Okeechobee, Orange, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, Suwannee, Taylor and Volusia counties.
To find your nearest center go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362. Go to DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA App to apply at home.
Even though the federal agency has distributed $440.2 million for Hurricane Milton survivors in Florida alone, it’s been hit with controversies over the last few months.
In October, FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that a FEMA worker had been verbally harassed in Florida following Hurricane Milton. She said misinformation about the agency on social media was to blame.
Then last week, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed a civil rights complaint in federal court against FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and a now-fired FEMA worker.
The former FEMA worker Marn’i Washington instructed relief workers to avoid homes in Florida with Trump signs in their yards, when carrying out Hurricane Milton relief.
Criswell has since apologized, calling Washington’s actions a clear violation of FEMA’s core values and principles and reprehensible.
She is scheduled to appear before a house oversight committee this week.
Read the full complaint Attorney General Moody filed last week: