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Seminole County opening FEMA sites for residents impacted by flooding, hurricane damage

Seminole County opening FEMA sites for residents impacted by flooding, hurricane damage
FIRST UP CLOSE LOOK AT THE DAMAGE. WE BEGIN OUR COVERAGE IN SEMINOLE COUNTY WHERE FLOODWATERS ARE STUBBORN AND LINGERING AND WILL BE A PROBLEM FOR THE COMING WEEKS. BUTTOCKS -- >> BECAUSE IT’S STILL COMING UP A LITTLE BIT WORKERS HAVE BEEN AT IT ALL AFTERNOON. YOU CAN SEE THE LAND BRIDGE THAT THEY HAVE CONSTRUCTED. YOU CAN SEE THE PICKUP TRUCK AND -- IN THE GOLF CART GOING ACROSS. THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT IF THERE WAS WATER OVER SEMINOLE BOULEVARD AND OVER, NO AVENUE. >> YESTERDAY I WENT DOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HALF AN INCH. IT’S DOWN ABOUT AN INCH NOW. EVEN WITH RECORD LEVELS AT LAKE HARNEY, EVEN AN INCH MAKES A DIFFERENCE. >> I’M ABLE TO GET THE PUMP GOING AND GET THE WATER OUT AS FAST AS IT’S COMING IN. >> IT IS FOLLOWING CLOSE -- FALLING SLOWLY. LAKE MONROE MAY COME UP IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. >> WATER INSIDE. >> HE SHARED THESE PHOTOS FROM HIS HOME WITH WATER COMING IN AND NOT YET CRESTING, HE DROPPED BY THE NEWLY OPENED FEMA SITE, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS HOMEOWNERS AND FLOOD INSURANCE. >> I COULD PICK DEDUCTIBLE, WHO KNOWS WHAT IT COULD DO BUT IT’S GREAT THAT THE ASSISTANCES THERE. I’VE NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD NEED TO AND MAYBE I WOULD NEED IT. >> MANY PREFER FACE-TO-FACE RATHER THAN OVER THE PHONE AND ONLINE REGISTRATION. >> THIS WAY YOU CAN TALK ONE-ON-ONE, LOOK SOMEBODY IN THE EYE, THAT YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT. >> FEMA GENERALLY HANDLES THOSE WITHOUT INSURANCE OR THE UNDERINSURED BUT THERE ARE OTHER SERVICES LIKE TEMPORARY SHALL TOURING WHEN YOUR HOME CANNOT BE LIVED IN. >> AIRBNB IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND BECAUSE WE ARE A BIG FAMILY, SIX ANIMALS AND A BIRD. IT’S HARD TO GET A PLACE. >> HE SAYS HIS FAMILY HAS STARTED THE PROCESS WITH FEMA THOSE IN PERSON LOCATIONS IN SEMINOLE COUNTY WERE MOVE AROUND THE COUNTY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THE INTENTION IS TO HAVE AN IN PERSON SITE IN VARIOUS AREAS THROUGHOUT SEMINOLE COUNTY IN THE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE ARE HEAVILY IMPACTED.
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Seminole County opening FEMA sites for residents impacted by flooding, hurricane damage
To find the FEMA help site schedule for the week and locations, scroll down to the bottom of this article. Workers spent much of the afternoon building up Palmetto in Sanford so people could cross the floodwaters onto Marina Isle. The water is rising but falling slightly at Lake Harney.Lake Harney homeowner Cody Clark is keeping close track of water levels."Yesterday, it went down for the first time about half of an inch and today another half of an inch. So it's down an inch," Clark said. Even at record flooding levels, at Lake Harney, falling an inch matters."One inch is making all the difference right now, so I'm able to keep the pumps going and move it out as fast as it's coming in, so it's working so far," Clark said. Lake Harney has crested and is falling slowly, and Lake Jesup is also cresting."We are still seeing, of course, flooding go up in certain areas of our community," Seminole County Alan Harris said. "I am happy to report Lake Harney has crested."Lake Monroe may come up in the next day or two."Maybe an inch to three inches more at Sanford in the downtown area, then it should start to go down," Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said. J.D. Hunter shared photos from his home near Mullet Lake Park. With water coming in and not yet cresting, he dropped by the newly opened FEMA intake site in Seminole County even though he has homeowners and flood insurance."It could pay the deductible. Who knows what it could do? It's good to have the assistance, never thought I'd need it, and maybe I won't need it," Hunter said. FEMA says many prefer face-to-face rather than over the phone or online."This way, you can go in, talk to a person one-on-one, get a straight answer, ask your questions, look someone in the eye who knows what they're talking about," Jann Tracey said. "They'll answer all the questions, what you can apply for, what you're eligible for," Harris said. FEMA generally handles those without insurance or the underinsured, but there are other services, like temporary sheltering when your home can't be lived in.FEMA information can be found on their website or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA."Airbnb and it's very expensive. And it's because we have a big family — six of us, six animals, bird, so it's very hard to get a place," Clark said. He says his family has started the process with FEMA.The flooding in Sanford should level off in a day or two. The FEMA in-person sites will move around Seminole County over the next few days, hoping to be as convenient as possible to people dealing with issues around the county. You can find the locations below:Residents can stay updated on Seminole County hurricane recovery efforts here.Below: Watch the full Seminole County update on FEMA and flooding

To find the FEMA help site schedule for the week and locations, scroll down to the bottom of this article.

Workers spent much of the afternoon building up Palmetto in Sanford so people could cross the floodwaters onto Marina Isle.

The water is rising but falling slightly at Lake Harney.

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Lake Harney homeowner Cody Clark is keeping close track of water levels.

"Yesterday, it went down for the first time about half of an inch and today another half of an inch. So it's down an inch," Clark said.

Even at record flooding levels, at Lake Harney, falling an inch matters.

"One inch is making all the difference right now, so I'm able to keep the pumps going and move it out as fast as it's coming in, so it's working so far," Clark said.

Lake Harney has crested and is falling slowly, and Lake Jesup is also cresting.

"We are still seeing, of course, flooding go up in certain areas of our community," Seminole County Alan Harris said. "I am happy to report Lake Harney has crested."

Lake Monroe may come up in the next day or two.

"Maybe an inch to three inches more at Sanford in the downtown area, then it should start to go down," Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said.

J.D. Hunter shared photos from his home near Mullet Lake Park.

With water coming in and not yet cresting, he dropped by the newly opened FEMA intake site in Seminole County even though he has homeowners and flood insurance.

"It could pay the deductible. Who knows what it could do? It's good to have the assistance, never thought I'd need it, and maybe I won't need it," Hunter said.

FEMA says many prefer face-to-face rather than over the phone or online.

"This way, you can go in, talk to a person one-on-one, get a straight answer, ask your questions, look someone in the eye who knows what they're talking about," Jann Tracey said.

"They'll answer all the questions, what you can apply for, what you're eligible for," Harris said.

FEMA generally handles those without insurance or the underinsured, but there are other services, like temporary sheltering when your home can't be lived in.

FEMA information can be found on their website or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.

"Airbnb and it's very expensive. And it's because we have a big family — six of us, six animals, bird, so it's very hard to get a place," Clark said.

He says his family has started the process with FEMA.

The flooding in Sanford should level off in a day or two.

The FEMA in-person sites will move around Seminole County over the next few days, hoping to be as convenient as possible to people dealing with issues around the county.

You can find the locations below:

seminole county fema sites
Seminole County
Seminole County FEMA sites

Residents can stay updated on Seminole County hurricane recovery efforts here.

Below: Watch the full Seminole County update on FEMA and flooding