Resources Related to Hurricane Milton

Below you will find resources related to Hurricane Milton. Our team will continue to update this post as we learn more about the storm and available resources. Please ensure that you are continuously checking your local updates related to the storm. For alerts related to Hillsborough County, please use this website. For alerts related to Tampa, please use this website.

Updated 10/15/24

For text alerts, please text TAMPAREADY to 888777

Shelter Information:

Emergency Evacuation Shelters

https://hcfl.gov/residents/stay-safe/emergency-evacuation-shelter-list

The residents still in need of shelter are being transferred to Pasco Field Hospital, 18776 State Road 54, Lutz, Florida 33558.

Temporary Shelters Allowed on Residential Property for Those Affected by Hurricane Milton

Hillsborough County residents who have been displaced due to Hurricane Milton are allowed to place temporary shelter on their residential property. According to Florida Statutes 553.7922, temporary shelters can remain on the property for up to three years after the date of the storm's emergency declaration or until a certificate of occupancy is issued on the permanent residential structure on the property. A state of emergency was declared on Oct. 6, 2024. Temporary shelters include a recreational vehicle, trailer, or similar structure.

Hotel Stays

Income eligible residents of Unincorporated Hillsborough County, Plant City and Temple Terrace, who have been displaced due to Hurricane Milton may be eligible to receive temporary hotel assistance. For further details and eligibility requirements, please call (813) 675-3450

Point of Distribution Information:

Comfort Station in Progress Village and 4 County POD locations

Hillsborough County, in conjunction with the National Guard, is set to open a comfort station to help residents affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton Oct. 14.

The comfort station is located at the Progress Village Senior Center, 8701 Progress Blvd., Tampa, FL 33619. The site will open at noon Oct. 14, and then operate daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.

The comfort station will offer showers, restrooms, washers and dryers for laundry, and a cooling tent. Hot food or boxed meals will be available at lunch and dinner times.

Residents who need transportation assistance to and from the comfort station should call (833) HC STORM or (833) 427-8676 daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition to the comfort station, the County and National Guard opened PODs yesterday. The sites are located strategically throughout the county. No IDs are required at the comfort station or PODs.

Hillsborough County PODS

Hillsborough County, in conjunction with the National Guard, has opened three points of distribution (POD) throughout the county to help residents affected by Hurricane Milton.

PODs are drive through relief areas where residents can pick up water, tarps for protecting homes, and meals. The PODs allow residents to obtain these items without having to leave their vehicles.

The sites will be open 7 AM to 7 PM, for the foreseeable future. All pod sites will close between noon and 1 PM daily for a shift change and reset.

• Elev8 Fun, Citrus Park Mall, 7902 Citrus Park Town Center Mall, Tampa, FL 33625

• HCC Brandon, 10451 Nancy Watkins Dr., Tampa, FL 33619 

• Gibsonton Walmart, 9205 Gibsonton Dr., Gibsonton, FL 33534

• 431 19th Avenue NE, Ruskin, FL 33570 (Former Kmart parking lot)  

No IDs will be required at the PODs.

Find your evacuation zone here.

Residents without digital access are encouraged to call 833-427-8676, the County's storm information line, or visit HCFLGov.net/StaySafe.

TECO Storm Center: Storm Center (tampaelectric.com)

Transportation:

HART Bus, HARTPlus, and HARTFlex service is Fare-free until October 21st, 2024.

Bus-Map-Schedules (gohart.org)

Information from Metropolitan Ministries:

Metropolitan Ministries Community Meal Sites

Click here to see map of meal site locations, serving dates, and times.

For your county emergency list and resources, please visit https://flsarc.org/county-emergency-list. For more state and federal information on emergency and disaster planning visit https://www.floridadisaster.org/, http://www.redcross.org/, http://www.ready.gov/, http://www.fema.gov/ or call your local Red Cross office.

Disaster Relief

This document contains a list of available disaster assistance programs and the agencies/organizations that manage them. For information on disaster assistance programs available in your area, visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call FEMA’s Helpline at 1-800-621-3362

FEMA_Additional Resources

.pdf

Download PDF • 90KB

Please be aware The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is still open and operating.

Please do not hesitate to call 211 should you need help in a mental health crisis.

https://www.crisiscenter.com/

https://www.crisiscenter.com/i-need-help/mental-or-physical-wellness/

Food, FEMA, WiFi: Where to find resources after Hurricane Milton

A growing list of places to get support, supplies and information in Tampa Bay after the storm.

Food, FEMA, WiFi: Where to find resources after Hurricane Milton (tampabay.com)

Apply for disaster assistance with FEMA

Disasterassistance.gov

Look for the box that says Do you need help after a disaster?

·       Enter your location, Select the disaster that affected you

·       Select your county

·       Checkmark the items that you need assistance with:

·       Property Damage (home damage, vehicle damage, personal property)

·       Emergency Needs (food, clothing, gas, medication, medical equipment, essential utilities, home access)

·       Other Expenses (funeral or reburial expenses, lodging expense, medical or dental expense, new or extra childcare costs, home safety items cost)

Report Property Damage with Hillsborough County

https://hcflgov.formstack.com/forms/hillsborough_county_post_storm_damage_helene

Contact The Red Cross

State Run: Tampa - Seminole Hard Rock

5223 Orient RdTampa, FL 33610Hillsborough County

https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter.html

During a disaster or emergency, you can rely on Red Cross shelters for:

• Meals, snacks and water

• Health services (for disaster-related conditions), such as first aid, refilling lost prescriptions or replacing lost eyeglasses

• Emotional support and mental health services

• Charging stations for cell phones and medical devices

• Emergency supplies to help clean up after a disaster

• Access to multi-agency disaster-related resources in the community

• Access to caseworkers to help you with disaster recovery planning and financial assistance for those who qualify

• Help with emergency shelter

Replacement of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP Recipients who lost food due to Hurricane Milton can apply for food replacement by completing the form located at https://www.myflfamilies.com/milton

Hillsborough County Local Partner Resources

American Red Cross

• After a disaster, the American Red Cross works with community partners to meet the urgent needs of people impacted. They focus on providing safe shelter, food, and emergency relief supplies like water, clean-up kits, tarps, shovels, and rakes. To find aid, visit redcross.org, download the free Red Cross Emergency app to search for shelters, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). 

• Website: American Red Cross 

• Phone: (800) 733-2767 - Toll free 

Bay Area Legal Services

• This nonprofit legal aid organization provides services to residents in the Tampa Bay area. Services provided include free civil legal aid programs to disaster survivors with related issues. The hotline is available 24 hours a day. 

• Website: Bay Area Legal Services 

• Phone: (833) 514-2940 - Toll free 

City of Plant City Hurricane Milton Information

Information and resources for Plant City residents

City of Tampa Hurricane Milton Information

City of Tampa post hurricane information

City of Temple Terrace Hurrican Milton Information

Temple Terrace information and resources

Crisis Center of Tampa Bay

• The Crisis Center offers many services to individuals and families. Residents can call 211, the 24/7 hotline number, or search 211atyourfingertips.org to generate a zip code search for resources. 

• Website: Crisis Center of Tampa Bay 

• Phone: (813) 964-1964 or call 211 

Crisis Cleanup

Crisis Cleanup: 844-965-1386

Feeding Tampa Bay

• For nutritional support and to find a food pantry in your area, select “Find Food” on the top of the Feeding Tampa Bay page 

• Website: Feeding Tampa Bay 

• Phone: (813) 254-1190 

• Neighbor Services Help Line: (813) 710-9003

Metropolitan Ministries

• Metropolitan Ministries has resources available for households that have been impacted by storms. Resident situations will be individually assessed, and the organization will offer services available to match the need. Offerings may include food, clothing, toiletries, furniture, and emergency housing as available. 

• Website: Metropolitan Ministries 

• Phone: (813) 209-1000 

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB)

• RTTB's mission is to revitalize communities by repairing critically damaged homes and helping neighbors rebuild their lives. RTTB repairs homes damaged in disaster and provides affordable housing for residents. RTTB's priority is to provide those in need with safe, healthy, and affordable homes. 

• Website: Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) 

• Phone: (813) 878-9000

Tampa Electric (TECO)

Power restoration updates and bill relief programs

• Phone: 1-877-588-1010

• https://www.tampaelectric.com/

Emergency Management Local Partners

Boricuas de Corazon

Disaster relief supplies (food, water, hygiene products, etc.)

• Phone: (954) 496-1463

• https://www.boricuasdecorazoninc.com/

Disaster Distress Helpline

24/7 emotional support for those affected by hurricanes

• Phone: (800) 985-5990

• https://www.cdc.gov/natural-disasters/psa-toolkit/disaster-distress-hotline.html

Sun City Center Emergency Squad

Emergency medical transport and assistance

• Phone: (813) 634-3800

• https://sccems.com/

State and Federal Resources

2-1-1

Call 2-1-1 for essential services

Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program

• The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has launched the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program offering low-interest or interest-free loans to agricultural and aquaculture producers who have experienced damage.

• Applications are now being accepted. 

• Website: Check your application at the FDACS loan program page. 

• Phone: (850) 617-7200

Disaster Legal Hotline

Disaster Legal Hotline: 833-514-2940

Florida Division of Emergency Management Official Updates

Florida Division of Emergency Management Updates

• floridadisaster.org/disaster-updates/storm-updates/

Florida Price Gouging Hotline

• Florida law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities during a storm-related declared state of emergency. This includes equipment, food, gasoline, hotel rooms, ice, lumber and water needed as a direct result of the event. 

• Report report suspected price gouging to the Florida Attorney General's Office by visiting the website or calling the phone number below 

• Website: MyFloridaLegal.com 

• Phone: (866) 966-7226 -Toll free 

Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County

• Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County disaster recovery specialists are available to provide confidential, no-cost consulting to help affected businesses prepare disaster loan applications and with other post-disaster challenges. Florida SBDC disaster specialists work alongside SBA business loan specialists to provide information about available resources and assist businesses in completing state and federal disaster loan applications. The Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County can be reached weekdays from 8 AM to 5 PM. 

• Website: Florida SBDC at Hillsborough County 

• Phone: (813) 277-1393 

Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program

• The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program provides short-term, zero-interest working capital loans intended to “bridge the gap” between the time disaster strikes and when a business has secured longer-term recovery funding, such as loans, insurance claims, or other resources 

• Short-term, personal loans are offered using State of Florida funds – they are not grants and must be repaid 

• Loans are available for up to $50,000 per eligible applicant 

• Website: Apply at Florida Commerce 

• Phone: (833) 832-4494 -Toll free 

• Email: EmergencyBridgeLoan@commerce.fl.gov. 

Hope Florida

Hope Florida connects the private sector, nonprofits, and government entities to help Floridians after a disaster. The Activate Hope initiative connects Floridians with outside resources that provide food, household goods, home repairs, and more. 

• Website: Apply at Hope Florida 

• More information: Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity (PDF)

• Phone: (833) GET HOPE (438-4673) - Toll free 

State Assistance Information Line (SAIL)

• SAIL is a toll-free hotline activated during an emergency to provide an additional resource for those in Florida to receive accurate and up-to-date information. Information provided by SAIL hotline operators includes how to prepare before, during, and after a hurricane 

• Website: The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) 

• Phone: (800) 342-3557 - Toll free 

Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) - FEMA

Temporary lodging for hurricane survivors

• https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/transitional-sheltering-assistance-1

Unemployment Assistance

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to businesses and residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and are not eligible for regular state or federal Reemployment Assistance benefits.

FloridaJobs.org

For support with navigating youth resources in Hillsborough County, you can contact our peer navigation team by completing this online form.