Courtesy: Fernando Astasio Avila – Shutterstock- Helene aftermath
Miami, FL. – As state, municipal, and federal agencies deal with the aftermath three days after Category 4 storm Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, recovery and relief activities are ongoing throughout the state.
Sunday saw the continuation of cleanup efforts following the hurricane that left a path of devastation and several million people without power, and which claimed at least 105 lives in the Southeast region of the United States.
On Saturday, President Joe Biden gave his approval for Florida to declare a state of emergency, enabling the federal government to support state, municipal, and tribal efforts at recovery after Hurricane Helene. In the previous 13 months, the Big Bend region has been battered by three hurricanes, including Helene.
Officials revealed that 13 people died in Florida alone, with 10 of those deaths occurring in Pinellas County. Rescue teams have completed thousands of operations throughout the state.
Where Florida’s federal funding is going
According to the White House, those impacted in the following counties can now access federal funds as a result of Biden’s actions:
- Charlotte
- Citrus
- Dixie
- Franklin
- Hernando
- Hillsborough
- Jefferson
- Lafayette
- Lee
- Levy
- Madison
- Manatee
- Pasco
- Pinellas
- Sarasota
- Taylor
- Wakulla
For emergency work in the counties on the list, state, tribal, qualifying municipal, and some private nonprofit groups will also be authorized to use the federal cash on a cost-sharing basis. Additionally, the White House said that federal cash is available for hazard mitigation initiatives throughout Florida on a cost-sharing basis.
On “Face The Nation” on Sunday, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell referred to Hurricane Helene as a “multi-state event” and said that her team on the ground has observed “significant impacts” in Florida and other areas of the U.S. Southeast.
John E. Brogan has also been assigned by the White House to FEMA to oversee federal recovery efforts in the affected areas.
“Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed,” according to the White House.
Governor Ron DeSantis said on X on Sunday night that “99 percent of the state of Florida has power,” noting that 111,000 consumers still lack power out of the 2.3 million who have had their power restored.
South Florida-based organizations, such as Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) in Doral, where volunteers have spent days filling boxes full of supplies for individuals affected by Hurricane Helene, have stepped up to support their neighbors in North Florida and the Gulf Coast.
GEM volunteer Sophia Rodriguez stated, “It could have been us and we could’ve been in that situation where we needed all the help we could get.” “So, I’m really grateful that we are the ones that get to be able to help.”
Four hundred volunteers have arrived at GEM since Hurricane Helene made landfall, helping to transport supplies to Florida and other affected areas in the U.S. Southeast.
As Keaton Beach was still convalescing from Idalia and Debby, Helene made her appearance and delivered the decisive blow. Ninety percent of the homes in Keaton Beach are gone, according to Taylor County officials.
Authorities claim that neither inhabitants nor rescue personnel are safe in Cedar Key, further south.
A Coast Guard team performed a daring rescue in the waters off Sanibel Island, Florida, saving a man and his dog who were stuck aboard his 36-foot yacht.
Storm-weary locals in Steinhatchee, a fishing community in the Big Bend, hoped that Hurricane Helene would spare them, but the restaurants and piers that once stood here are vanished.
Buildings were forced off their foundations by the storm surge. After owning it for twenty years, Linda Wicker lost her restaurant. The sight of homes ripped apart by the storm and the deep water throughout her community appeared to have shook her even more.
Wicker told CBS News, “You just can’t go there if you let it play with your mind.” “It is not possible. It is dreadful.
Boats had washed up on land and streets were submerged on Tampa’s famous Davis Islands. One house burned completely. Next-door neighbor Marie Terry would still be in the area if it weren’t for her daughter’s insistence that she leave.
“I’m simply stunned,” Terry said to CBS News. “It’s just such a beautiful house, and to see it like this, it’s like, what could have happened?”
Residents and business owners in Florida who had damages in the approved areas can start the application process at DisasterAssistance.gov, by phone at (800) 621-FEMA (3362), or through the FEMA app.
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Melissa’s career in writing started more than 20 years ago. Today, she lives in South Florida with her husband and two boys.
