Assistance for individuals and businesses is now available to Pinellas County residents who experienced damages or losses due to Hurricane Ian.
PINELLAS COUNTY — Assistance for individuals and businesses is now available to Pinellas County residents who experienced damages or losses due to Hurricane Ian.
Latest incident developments
- Individuals in Pinellas County who Hurricane Ian has impacted may be eligible for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- Impacted homeowners, renters, and businesses may be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
- To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA mobile app. If online or mobile access is unavailable, applicants should call the FEMA toll-free helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 1-800-462-7585.
- Pinellas Emergency Management staff has requested support from FEMA for at least one FEMA disaster recovery center.
- A FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Team (DSAT) will be arriving in the county on Friday to visit areas of confirmed damage and meet with residents.
- Residents can continue to report damages to personal property and businesses at https://storm.pinellascounty.org
FEMA disaster assistance for individuals
- Residents can apply one of three ways:
- Through the FEMA app (available in the Apple App Store and Google Play)
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- By calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585)
- Those with Internet access are encouraged to apply online.
- The FEMA app allows residents to upload and share photos of the damage, access local resources, and toggle between English and Spanish.
- Within 10 days after registering, a FEMA inspector will call to schedule an appointment.
- At the appointment, the following documents will be needed:
- Photo ID: driver’s license or passport
- Proof of occupancy: lease or utility bill
- Proof of ownership: deed, title, mortgage, payment book, or tax receipts
- Applicants will be sent a decision letter within 10 days after the inspector’s visit.
- Payments for eligible applicants will be made via check or an electronic funds transfer.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Assistance
- Low-interest Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to homeowners, renters, and businesses in Pinellas County that Hurricane Ian has impacted.
- Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov and should apply under SBA declaration number 17644.
- Disaster loan information and application forms can also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.
- Paper loan applications can also be downloaded from sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
- The filing deadline to return physical property damage applications is Nov. 28. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 29.
Additional advice and information for residents
- Take photos of your damaged property and make a list of all damaged or lost items.
- If you have insurance, file a claim with your insurance company before applying for disaster assistance.
