Disaster Resources

Disasters of all kinds occur across our state - natural and otherwise.  Florida Nonprofit Alliance uses this page to pull together resources to help you both prepare for, and respond to, disasters.

Meteorologists at AccuWeather and Colorado State University both predict that the 2024 Hurricane Season will have above-normal activity.  CSU has predicted 23 named storms and 5 major hurricanes.  Even more reason to start disaster planning now!

HURRICANES HELENE AND MILTON RESOURCES

Florida has secured approval of a major disaster declaration for Hurricanes Helene and Milton from FEMA. The declaration includes Individual Assistance and Public Assistance (Categories A for debris removal and B for emergency protective measures).

Hurricane Milton

Individual Assistance, which is assistance to residents and households, is available for Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia counties and Miccosukee Indian Reservation.

Public Assistance, which is available for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, is available for Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia  counties and Miccosukee Indian Reservation for debris removal. 

Public Assistance is available for Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Volusia counties and Miccosukee Indian Reservation for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance. 

Hurricane Helene

Individual Assistance, which is assistance to residents and households, is available for Alachua, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla counties. 

Public Assistance, which is available for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities, is available for Alachua, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, and Wakulla counties for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance. 

Resources for Hurricanes Helene and Milton
  • Hurricane Recovery with FEMA webinar - FNA hosted a webinar with FEMA about hurricane recovery assistance. 
  • FEMA Individual Assistance is available to individuals and households in need of financial and direct services who have uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs. Impacted individuals with insurance are encouraged to apply. See above for the eligible counties. Individuals can apply in multiple ways:
  • FEMA Grants for Nonprofits and Governments
  • FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locator - find the closest recovery center to you

  • Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) is available for both storms. Displaced residents may be eligible for a hotel room at no cost to the household, with funding from FEMA. In order to be eligible, residents must be eligible for Individual Assistance (IA). They must also update their current location according to their current situation. The program is currently geofenced to include hotel rooms in FL, AL, and GA (all counties in each state are eligible for transitional shelter stays). The current cap on cost for the hotel is 200% of the General Services Administration (GSA) rate.

  • Operation Blue Roof, a free tarping service for homeowners and permanently occupied rental properties, is now available in 25 counties listed below.  It provides fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting to protect storm-damaged roofs until homeowners can make permanent repairs.  Visit https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Emergency-Operations/Blue-Roof-Info/ or 888-766-3258. Homeowners who wish to apply must complete a right-of-entry (ROE) form to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and its contractors to access the property. Before calling to request service, please encourage affected residents to talk to their insurance companies, as tarping can sometimes do further damage to the roof, which can complicate claims. The deadline to register is 11/5/24. 

Eligible counties: Brevard, Citrus, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia.

  • Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) provide disaster-relief employment, as well as employment and training services to minimize the impact of large, unexpected emergencies and natural disasters causing significant job losses. Disaster Recovery DWGs create temporary employment opportunities to assist with clean-up and recovery efforts and provide humanitarian assistance in impacted areas. The funding may also be used to temporarily expand capacity to serve dislocated workers and meet the increased demand for employment and training services, thus enhancing their employability and earnings.

Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) in areas covered by the Disaster/Emergency Declaration are responsible for Disaster Recovery DWG program administration and service delivery, including but not limited to:

    • Working with local governmental and other agencies to assess the need for temporary disaster-relief workers and developing worksite agreements to address these needs;
    • Working with local employers to address talent needs in the wake of the disaster/emergency; and
    • Conducting outreach and eligibility determination of individuals applying for workforce services and providing eligible participants appropriate grant services.

Contact your Local CareerSource Florida Network Directory for more information.

GET READY FOR A DISASTER RESOURCES

In April 2024, Florida Nonprofit Alliance and Florida Philanthropic Network launched a new, Florida-specific, disaster planning toolkit and guidebook for nonprofits and funders in our state.

To view the webinar, which walks you through the guidebook and how to make a disaster plan, click here.

To download the Disaster Planning Guide (PDF), click here.

To download the Disaster Planning Tools, click on the resource below.

 

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Below are links and resources to help your organization prepare for natural disasters and how to proactively keep your organization and staff safe.

Preparing for Hurricane Season:
  • Research and learn  - the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has released a Disaster Response Analysis, based on their experience with Hurricane Ian in 2022.  Take a look at their lessons learned and see if there are any things your organization or community can implement.
  • A business continuity plan – the Nonprofit Risk Management Center has a number of resources on creating a business continuity plan (if you are not accessing your free membership to the Nonprofit Risk Management Center, now is the perfect time to do so!)
  • A communications plan for employees and volunteers – according to our 2022 Nonprofits Survey, 30% of the nonprofits affected by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole had reduced ability to provide services because of staff unavailability. Make a plan now for how you will communicate with each other.
  • Know your local resources – get to know the Emergency Management Division of your local government and find out if you have a VOAD or COAD in your region.
  • Know who the most vulnerable are in your communities – nonprofits often know the community members and clients and what their needs are. How can you appropriately use that information to protect them in the case of a major storm?
  • Preparedness planning is key - Preparation can make a huge difference in how quickly your nonprofit can get back to advancing its mission after disaster strikes.
  • Get involved - register to become a Voluntary Agency Liaison with FEMA

 Post Disaster Recovery:
  • Check https://www.disasterassistance.gov/   to see if there are resources available in your area
  • Small Business Administration disaster loans are available to businesses, homeowners, renters and nonprofit organizations in some Florida counties. Applicants may apply at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov  under declaration #17644. For help, call 800-659-2955 or send an email to  DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov .
  • Mental health resources are available. Survivors experiencing emotional distress can call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline   at 800-985-5990. The national hotline provides free 24/7, crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster. Deaf and hard of hearing ASL callers can use a videophone or  ASL Now  .

 

Key Takeaways:
  • Take care of yourself first - have a crisis response plan, hold drills, adopt an emergency communication plan for your own staff so that you can function in the aftermath of a crisis.
  • Know where to find resources, such as insurance agents in your state. A natural partner is the Nonprofit Risk Management Center; FNA members are automatically members.
  • Can your nonprofit help with one of these roles: convener, connector, referral source, sense-maker, collaborator and potentially the backbone of collective impact endeavors.
  • Who are the first responders in your region? Showcase their work - be their champions.
  • Guide donors to identify legitimate nonprofits and work with state charity officials to raise awareness of potentially fraudulent fundraising.
  • One of the most important aspects of disaster preparation is making sure that digital information is backed up.

  

Other resources: