Hermine Update: Help Still Needed

How do you start over when you’re 70-years-old, your spouse has cancer and a hurricane just sent five feet of saltwater through your home?

“I’ve lost everything I own,” one parishioner told Leon Holden, pastor of First Baptist Church of Steinhatchee, Florida.

Three weeks ago today Hurricane Hermine crashed onshore in Florida’s Big Bend, sending a nine foot storm surge through a dozen small fishing villages from Tallahassee down to Tampa.

Despite initial help from the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and promises of state help from Gov. Rick Scott, three weeks into recovery, much of the cleanup and care-taking has been done by locals and outside volunteers, say residents. But more help is needed to get flooded homes functioning again, and locals aren’t optimistic the government will provide much.

 

“We don’t have time to wait on the government,” said Pastor Holden.  “These people have nowhere to live.”

But Holden needs help.  He says they can rebuild 20 home interiors for $15,000 using volunteer labor.  Ace Hardware is providing materials at cost.

The homes have already been gutted by volunteers from the Florida Baptist Disaster Relief organization, as well as others from around the state who showed up for a day or two.  Thirty members of the Baptist group spent a week sleeping on the floor in the church sanctuary and gym and providing free help to mostly elderly residents. The organization also provided cooked meals that were distributed early in the aftermath by the Red Cross.

“We have never stopped since the storm hit,” said Holden, referring to parishioners, the community and outside volunteers who’ve helped storm victims.  First, they provided “pantry items” like clothes and food.  Second, they hauled out wet walls, furniture, floors and mattresses to ward off the mold that grows fast in Florida’s humid environment.  Now, they’re rebuilding.

“Even if someone can give one day’s labor,” said Holden, “it will help.”

 

Forty miles south in Horseshoe Beach, Mayor Talmadge Bennett said volunteers have cleaned up the town and the ruined parts of homes.  But many people, especially lower-income residents, are still “living on cots and cooking on camper stoves.”

“It was a sad state of affairs that folks lost so much,” said Marihelen Wheeler, who is running for Florida House District 21. “Much of the interior of homes had to be thrown away and many docks were destroyed.”

Another problem is the canals and marshes are still full of hazardous materials, like paint cans, batteries, freezers, and washers.

“It’s a mess,” Bennett said, “And we are desperately trying to get help to clean it out.”

Horseshoe Beach was built on canals in the 1960s, Bennett said, and relies on tourists being able to use the canals to bring business to town.  Now, they’re not navigable.  And the junk strewn throughout the marsh “will directly affect our ecosystem,” he said, in a town dependent on fishing and hunting tourism.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has assessed the area and told him the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission will probably be responsible for clean-up.  But there’s been no firm word to date.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) toured the region two weeks ago, but hasn’t declared the area a disaster zone and hasn’t said what, if any, help will be forthcoming.  Bennett said FEMA could provide low-interest loans for 75% of the value of a loss and only for structural damage – not for replacing docks, decks, porches, or interiors, like mattresses and appliances.

 

Heroes Among Us

Wheeler said Mayor Bennett is “a hero in the reclamation of the town.”  Bennett and two others opened up a warehouse he owns and used it as a distribution center in the initial days after the storm.  Bennett says they gave out food and clothing for days, and the Salvation Army gave out cleaning supplies.

Wheeler also credits volunteers who “swooped into Horseshoe and got things put back to the point you could not tell a storm had come through.”

Pastor Holden echoes her thoughts.  “It’s been a blessing to see our church, our community, and our councilmen come together as a team.”

He said one man drove from South Carolina to deliver a truck load of building supplies. “We’ve got some great people in this country,” he said.

For those residents who’ve lost everything, with enough donations, Holden hopes to have them back in their homes in two weeks.

 

How to Help

First Baptist Church of Steinhatchee is accepting donations to help rebuild the interiors of 20 homes.  Holden said they need insulation, sheet rock, sheet rock screws and mud.  They also need experienced builders to install the sheet rock but there is room for helpers who don’t have building experience.  They’re taking monetary donations via Paypal on their website, and a GoFundMe campaign will be posted on the church’s Facebook page.  As a 501 (3) c, the church is able to provide a tax receipt.

Janalea England, a Steinhatchee resident, started a Facebook page called Steinhatchee, FL Flooding Help 2016 to track help requests in the Steinhatchee area.  She reports that mattresses, appliances and building materials are the most current needs.

Mayor Bennett in Horseshoe Beach said he’ll open up his warehouse for any donations of used or new appliances and see that the items get to the folks who need them.  He can be reached at his office at 904.718.7822 or at City Hall at 352.498.5234.

The Children’s Table, a charity we wrote about last December, is running a mobile food truck to 19 food distribution locations, including, Bronson, Cedar Key, Otter Creek, Fanning Springs, Old Town, Cross City, Chiefland, Horseshoe Beach and Rosewood.  “We’re making sure no one goes hungry,” co-founder Bill Brown said.  Their weekly distribution schedule is posted on their Facebook page.  Financial donations are accepted.

The American Red Cross is providing financial assistance to those whose homes have been damaged or destroyed, according to its website and to Levy County Emergency Management.  The Red Cross didn’t return calls or emails seeking further information, but there is a staffed hotline to request assistance.  The number is 844.556.6582.  Donations are welcome and can be made on the website.

The Salvation Army can provide assistance on a case-by-case basis, from help filing insurance to help paying bills, said Dulcinea Kimrey, Director of Communication for the Salvation Army of Florida.  Kimrey said although the mobile canteens are no longer out in the communities, the group has permanent offices in the state that are “always there to help” via connection to a myriad of social service agencies.  “We haven’t left the community,” said Kimrey.  “We were there before the storm and we’re still there after the storm.”  Call the Tallahassee office at 850.222.3255 to speak to a caseworker, or go to the website to make a donation.

 

Government Help Available

The Taylor County Administrator announced $5,000 grants available to low income residents for repairs not covered by insurance.  The State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) Funds will provide funds for homesteaded residents for “repairs or improvements needed for safety and sanitary rehabilitation.”  See the County Administrator’s page for details on income eligibility and how/where to apply.

Gov. Rick Scott activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program on September 7 for small businesses damaged by Hermine.  It provides 90 to 180 day, interest-free loans to businesses with two to 100 employees to restore cash flow until normal business operations commence.  Applications are accepted through October 31, 2016.  Call 850.898.3489 or go to www.floridadisasterloan.org.

On September 20, Gov. Rick Scott requested the federal government make a major disaster declaration for the area, which would make federal assistance available.

 

Update:  The article was updated at 1:00 p.m. to reflect information about assistance from the Salvation Army.

Update 2: October 3, 2016 Janalea England said FEMA has released the funding amounts for counties in the Big Bend, and Taylor County, where Steinhatchee is located, will only receive $24 thousand total for the approximately 150 homes that were damaged.  Dixie County, on the other hand, will receive nearly $7 million.  The Steinhatchee River is the dividing line between Taylor and Dixie County and the town of Steinhatchee sits on the north side of the river, which is only about 1/4 mile wide.  So residents are upset and concerned at the small funding for Taylor, versus a much bigger amount for damage for properties on the south side of the river.  “We had houses with four feet of water in them,” she said.  More than ever, they are relying on donations to help rebuild.

State Rep. Gwen Graham wrote to the head of FEMA on Sept. 28 requesting that Wakulla, Franklin and Taylor Counties be included for individual relief.