GENEVA, Fla. — Seminole County officials report the flooding at Lake Harney has crested, but not before water, 6 feet deep in places, had time to wash out homes, leaving many neighborhoods only accessible by boat.
On Wednesday, FEMA opened its mobile registration site hoping to get people easier access to apply for help.
What You Need To Know
- FEMA opened a mobile registration site Wednesday that will travel around Seminole County
- The site has food, water, supplies and people to help sign up residents for monetary assistance
- See below for locations the FEMA site will be visiting
Noah Henry is one of the many residents whose belongings are still floating in the brown, murky floodwaters.
“As of right now, there’s not much we can do,” he said. “It’s very flooded — we have to take boats back and forth to our house. We tried to salvage what we could, it wasn’t very much.”
He went out to the FEMA mobile site Wednesday, where water, food and other supplies were available for neighbors to grab. There are also people at the site to help residents sign up for monetary assistance.
“It’s a little confusing because I’ve never had to do this before,” said Henry. “I’m 18, I’m a new adult. I don’t really know what goes on for this process.”
That’s exactly why FEMA officials say in-person registration sites are getting placed throughout Seminole County.
“This way you come in, talk to a person one-on-one, get a straight answer,” said FEMA spokesperson Jann Tracey. “Look at someone in the eye — someone you can believe knows what they’re talking about.”
Statewide, FEMA has approved $63.5 million in funding so far. Of that, $17 million has already been dispersed.
As of Wednesday, FEMA officials say more than 7,000 people have registered for assistance in Seminole County.
“We basically came out here because we don’t have food, and we don’t have very much money to get the food,” said Peyton Harrison, a Seminole County resident. “We’re just kinda going day-by-day. See what happens.”
FEMA officials encourage residents to apply for assistance, even those who may not think they are eligible. Applicants need to bring proof of residency, a social security number and insurance papers.
The mobile site will be moving to the following areas around Seminole County this week:
FEMA Mobile Site Locations
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Wednesday: Rural Heritage Center, 101 E. Main St., Geneva
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Thursday: Oviedo Cultural Center, 357 Center Lake Lane, Oviedo
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Friday: Winter Springs Civic Center, 400 N. Edgemon Ave., Winter Springs
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Saturday: Westmonte Park, 624 Bills Lane, Altamonte Springs
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Sunday: Midway Park, 2045 Hurston Ave., Sanford
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Monday: Harvest Time International, 225 Harvest Time Drive, Sanford
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