Sarasota County Hurricane Recovery Updates, Nov. 26

Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC

Updates on hurricane recovery in Sarasota County.

Disaster Recovery Center Hours

The Disaster Recovery Center at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, 801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, will be closed on Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 28. The DRC will re-open Friday, Nov. 29 with hours remaining 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Beginning Dec. 1, all DRC’s across the state will be closed on Sundays.

Small Business Administration Deadline Extension:
The Small Business Administration disaster loan deadline has been extended, the Physical Disaster Loan deadline for BOTH Helene and Milton is Jan. 7, 2025.

To apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

REMINDER: FEMA Application Deadline Extension:

The deadline for Floridians to apply for FEMA assistance after Hurricanes Milton and Helene has been extended to Jan. 7, 2025.

Homeowners and renters with losses from Hurricanes Milton and Helene may be eligible for FEMA financial assistance for displacement, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other uninsured or underinsured disaster-caused expenses.

Homeowners and renters are encouraged to apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by using the FEMA App. You may also apply by phone at 800-621-3362. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to FEMA Accessible: Applying for Individual Assistance – YouTube.

If you had damage from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, you will need to apply separately for both disasters and provide the dates of your damage for each.

For the latest information about Hurricane Milton recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4834. For Hurricane Helene recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. For Hurricane Debby recovery information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4806. Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.

Debris Collection:

Sarasota County debris contractors have collected 1.75 million cubic yards of debris of debris from public right-of-way since Oct. 13. More than 300 contractors from around the country continue to work daily to help collect storm debris from both Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

As a reminder, debris contractors will break for the Thanksgiving holiday through Dec 1. Debris collection will resume on Monday, Dec 2.

Sarasota County’s debris contractors have been working seven days a week, sun up to sun down, since Oct. 13 to remove debris from our community from back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is leading the cleanup with state contractors to remove marine debris from Sarasota County waterways, with over 500 cubic yards of marine debris collected so far. The Nokomis Beach Park is currently being used as a temporary offloading site for debris, and the City of Sarasota’s 10th Street boat ramp is also being used to remove vessels.

If you spot debris in canals or other local waterways, please report it to the Florida Division of Emergency Management:

• Submit a report online at FloridaDebrisCleanup.com

• Call (850) 366-6007, available daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.