Catholic Charities Diocese of St. Petersburg Disaster Response

UPDATES as of 10:00 am on Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Catholic Charities Office Hours

Our offices are all OPEN. Our 24-hour shelters are operating and accepting new clients.

Thanks to your generous donations, the

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice has asked us to HALT

our efforts. Thank you for participating!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice is welcoming those who wish to volunteer with disaster relief efforts in and near the areas that were hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. For more details, please go to https://catholiccharitiesdov.org and click on the “Volunteer Now” option.

HOW TO APPLY FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance After Hurricane Ian: Hurricane Ian | FEMA.gov

ATLANTA – Florida homeowners and renters (individuals) in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties who were affected by Hurricane Ian may apply for FEMA disaster assistance.

Survivors can apply for disaster assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov, by calling 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time, or by using the FEMA mobile app. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.

When you apply for assistance, have the following information ready:
• A current phone number where you can be contacted
• Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying
• Your Social Security number
• A general list of damage and losses
• Banking information if you choose direct deposit
• If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name

Survivors may be eligible to receive assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses resulting from the Hurricane Ian. If you have homeowners, renters or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

Take photos to document damage and begin cleanup and repairs to prevent further damage. Remember to keep receipts from all purchases related to the cleanup and repair.

Disaster assistance may include financial help with temporary lodging and home repairs, as well as other disaster-related expenses.

FEMA Applications for Small Businesses & Nonprofits

Apply online at: Business Disaster Loans | disasterassistance.gov

Public Groups may be eligible for FEMA assistance beyond the counties listed above. Learn more here:

APPLY FOR FLOOD CLAIMS

Apply online at: | How to Start Your Flood Insurance Claim (floodsmart.gov)

FOR FUTURE USE: How to Track Hurricanes and School Closures

While Hurricane Ian did relatively minimal damage to our area, let us continue to pray for those who were impacted but especially for our neighbors to the south and east and those up the Atlantic Coast who also suffered from Ian as a Category One storm.

www.windy.com – view projected track of hurricanes using 5 different models
www.nhc.noaa.gov – various views and tools, including wind speeds, sea level surge and much more.
https://www.fldoe.org/em-response/storm-info.stml

HURRICANE IAN EVACUATION ORDERS BY COUNTY

Hillsborough County

All Evacuation Orders have been lifted. Hillsborough County will seek transitioning shelter availability for evacuees who continue to need assistance.
Schools re-opened Monday, October 3rd.

Pinellas County