Hernando County received FEMA Federal Disaster declaration for both Public Assistance and Individual Assistance from Hurricane Helene & Milton.
To apply for Federal Assistance:
- Call FEMA’s hotline at 800-621-3362
- Visit FEMA Website:
- Download the FEMA app (Available from the App Store or Google Play)
Click here to download flyer for English and Spanish.
When Applying for FEMA Assistance in Multiple Disasters
Floridians who applied for FEMA assistance after Hurricanes Helene, Debby or previous storms must apply separately for assistance after Hurricane Milton.
When applying for FEMA assistance after multiple disasters:
- You will need to describe what damage occurred and on what date, to ensure federal disaster assistance from storms is not duplicated.
- Keep all receipts for expenses associated with each disaster, including:
- Home repairs
- Repairs to a septic system, water well or private road
- Purchase of a generator or chainsaw
- Replacement of personal property items such as appliances
- Vehicle repairs or replacement
- Insurance settlement or denial
- FEMA assistance will not cover losses already covered from a previous disaster but can help with new damage caused by Hurricane Milton.
- Eligible survivors affected by multiple hurricanes can receive Serious Needs Assistance and Displacement Assistance in multiple incidents.
- If you already created a Login.gov account, you may use that same account in accessing both applications.
- FEMA is reaching out to applicants who may have been affected by multiple storms to provide necessary support for their recovery. These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers. If you are concerned about verifying that FEMA is trying to reach you, call the helpline at 800-621-3362.
How to Apply:
Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 any day. Multilingual operators are available. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
How to Appeal FEMA’s Decision:
If you receive a letter from FEMA and you disagree with FEMA’s decision about your eligibility, you can appeal the decision. FEMA might need more information to continue processing your application. Once FEMA has reviewed your application, the results of the inspection and documentation you provided, you will receive a letter explaining:
- Whether you are approved for assistance.
- How much assistance you will receive.
- How the assistance must be used.
- How to appeal FEMA’s decision.
If you are initially not approved for assistance, you may appeal within 60 days of the date of the decision letter. If you have questions regarding the letter or how to appeal, you may visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you choose to call the helpline, please understand wait times may be longer because of increased volume for multiple recent disasters. Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages.
What to Include When You Appeal
The letter from FEMA will provide additional information on the types of documents or information that you may need to provide. FEMA will also include an optional appeal form that may be used to help provide additional information.
When submitting any documentation or information to FEMA, you must include your FEMA application number and disaster number (DR-4806-FL for Hurricane Debby, DR-4828-FL for Hurricane Helene and DR-4834-FL for Hurricane Milton) on every page.
For appeals by a third party, the applicant or co-applicant must also have a valid Written Consent on file for the third party with authorization to appeal or represent the applicant at the time of inspection.
How to Submit Your Appeal
You can submit your appeal and supporting documentation:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Log into your account and upload supporting documents via the Correspondence Upload Center.
- In-person at a Disaster Recovery Center. (West Hernando Library Branch open daily from 9am-6pm)
- By mail: FEMA Individuals & Households Program, National Processing Center P.O. Box 10055 Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
- By fax: (800) 827-8112, Attention: FEMA – Individuals & Households Program
For the latest information about Hurricane Milton recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4834. For Hurricane Helene, visit fema.gov/disaster/4828. For Hurricane Debby, visit fema.gov/disaster/4806 . Follow FEMA on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.
Be Alert to Fraud After Florida Hurricanes
Floridians should be aware that con artists and criminals may try to obtain money or steal personal information through fraud or identity theft after Hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby. In some cases, thieves try to apply for FEMA assistance using names, addresses and Social Security numbers they have stolen from people affected by a disaster.
If a FEMA inspector comes to your home and you did not submit a FEMA application, your information may have been used without your knowledge to create a FEMA application. If this happens, please inform the inspector that you did not apply for FEMA assistance so they can submit a request to stop further processing of the application.
If you did not apply for assistance but receive a letter from FEMA, please call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline will submit a request to stop further processing of that application.
If you do want to apply for FEMA assistance after stopping an application made in your name without your knowledge, the helpline will assist you in creating a new application.
Scams
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) crews, housing inspectors and other officials will be working in areas impacted by the recent hurricanes. They carry official photo identification. FEMA representatives never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. Their services are free.
Don't give your banking information to a person claiming to be a FEMA housing inspector. FEMA inspectors are never authorized to collect your personal financial information.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam, report it immediately to your local police or sheriff's department or contact Florida’s Office of the Attorney General by calling 866-9-NO-SCAM (866-966-7226) or visit myfloridalegal.com. To file a fraud complaint, go online to Scam Report (myfloridalegal.com).
If you have knowledge of fraud, waste or abuse, you can report these tips – 24 hours a day, seven days a week – to the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721. You can also email StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov to report a tip.
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