Thursday is the last chance to apply for Florida hurricane help

Those wishing to file a claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Small Business Administration need to do so by Thursday.

FEMA staff is leaving the region.

Thursday is the last chance for residents to receive in-person assistance at the Disaster Recovery Center at the Shannon Staub Library, 4675 Career Lane, North Port from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In Charlotte County, the FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are at Tringali Park Recreation Center, 3460 N. Access Road, Englewood, and at Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron St., Port Charlotte.

Also at the recovery centers in Charlotte County are representatives from the Small Business Administration, Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, UNITE Florida, Florida Department of Children and Families, Department of Financial Services, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

The sites will cease operations to coincide with the FEMA application deadline.

"Every eligible Floridian that was impacted by Hurricane Ian should apply for assistance," FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie said in a statement. "There are many programs that survivors may be eligible for but aren't aware of because they either haven't applied or their applications are incomplete. Now is the time to get all the necessary documents together and apply for assistance before the deadline."

Even those who have incomplete applications or have been rejected in the past can reapply, Guthrie wrote.

Since Hurricane Ian hit in September, more than $4.5 billion in federal grants, disaster loans and flood insurance payments has been provided to Florida households to aid recovery.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provided $1.42 billion in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and business owners affected by Hurricane Ian. The National Flood Insurance Program paid $1.72 billion in claims. Additionally, FEMA also received 4,059 valid registrations from Hurricane Nicole survivors.

Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists went to more than 352,000 homes in Florida neighborhoods to help individuals register for assistance, according to FEMA.

FEMA is providing temporary housing to eligible Hurricane Ian survivors in Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties. FEMA determined that rental assistance is insufficient to meet the housing need in those counties because of a lack of available housing resources.

FEMA is notifying applicants who are eligible for direct housing. Direct Temporary Housing Assistance may be provided for up to 18 months from Sept. 29, 2022, the date of the federal disaster declaration, to March 28, 2024.

Those impacted can visit the Unite Florida Hurricane Ian Recovery Portal at IanRecovery.fl.gov/Unite or call 800-892-0948. Applicants for the state's temporary sheltering initiatives must first apply for FEMA assistance to avoid a duplication of benefits by the state.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to eligible survivors who can file a claim for loss of income caused by Hurricane Ian by going to Disaster Unemployment Assistance — FloridaJobs.org and selecting "Apply for Hurricane Ian DUA," or calling 800-385-3920.

Hurricane Ian survivors can apply for FEMA assistance and continuously update their applications by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov, calling 1-800-621-3362, using the FEMA app.