For many people, there’s no better place to live than Southwest Florida. Of course, being a homeowner in Sarasota County or Manatee County comes with some challenges. The region often experiences hurricanes that bring high winds, heavy rains, and storm surges. Residents must also deal with severe thunderstorms, flooding, and extreme heat and humidity. With these challenges in mind, let’s explore the top resources available to homeowners.
Immediate Emergency and Critical Services
Services from first responders and other emergency personnel are available anytime by calling 911. For nonemergency community resources, call 211. That will put you in touch with a Florida-specific, nationally accredited call center. A 211 specialist can then transfer you to the appropriate resource for disaster information, community resource navigation, mental health referrals, and so on. You can also call 311 for nonemergency access to local government services when you need to do something like report a pothole or request tree removal.
FEMA Assistance and Federal Aid
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides disaster response. It supports individual residents and the government at various levels when disaster strikes. Note that FEMA can’t activate until the federal government has recognized the disaster through a declaration. Once that occurs, FEMA may set up physical facilities in your community with various resources, including potable water. You’ll also be able to apply through FEMA for federal assistance. One way to do this is online through DisasterAssistance.gov.
U.S. Small Business Association
The U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) provides relief for small businesses affected by hurricanes and other natural disasters. Generally, SBA assistance doesn’t apply to homeowners, but there are notable exceptions. For example, if you’re self-employed and a disaster has affected your ability to work from home, resources may be available. For anyone who can’t work or has lost their job to a disaster, there is Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). You can apply for DUA through the FloridaCommerce website.
Local Recovery Resources
A key resource available to homeowners in the area is Season of Sharing. This is a joint partnership program between the Community Foundations of Sarasota and Manatee. You can access it online or through the 211 hotline mentioned earlier. For eligible residents, it provides a financial bridge of up to $3,500. You can use this money for rent, utilities, transportation, and other necessities to prevent homelessness.
Both counties offer a range of other resources. These include permanent and pop-up emergency zones, shelters, and resources for special needs. Lasting Manatee is a long-term recovery program that provides housing repair and infrastructure rebuilding. Sarasota offers similar resources through the local Habitat for Humanity.
Home Cleanup and Repair
Note that, during a disaster, the sheer amount of need can overwhelm local services. For this reason, the State of Florida has established a Crisis Cleanup hotline. You can call it directly or access it through the 211 hotline. This will put you in contact with a network of volunteer organizations, including Samaritan’s Purse. The people and organizations involved provide free labor for clearing debris, removing fallen trees, mucking out flooded homes, and similar tasks. They’ll add you to a prioritized list based on the severity of the assistance you need.
Local Utilities
The local utilities in Southwest Florida have extensive experience in navigating natural disasters. Both counties rely heavily on Florida Power & Light (FPL). FPL provides updates by phone, website, and app. Their online updates include coverage maps with granular details. Water and wastewater services are managed directly through the counties. You can access those directly or through the 211 and 311 hotlines. Note that any natural gas services required will generally be provided after the counties have stabilized power and water services. For communication services, such as internet, cable, and phone, you need to contact the providers directly. Most major providers offer both phone- and web-based communication options.
Mental Health and Emotional Recovery
Natural disasters can take a toll on the mental health of Floridians. You can text NAMI to 741741 for peer support and local mental health navigation for Sarasota and Manatee communities. There are a Disaster Distress Helpline and a Florida Blue Helpline, both bilingual. All these resources can provide access to the local Mobile Response Team.
Keeping Current With Real-Time Alerts
Both counties offer signups for text, email, and phone alerts. All the local utilities in the region offer such services as well. If you lack access during a disaster, you can find fixed Wi-Fi hotspots at public libraries and community centers. Ad-hoc networks will also be available at disaster recovery centers and distribution sites.
Local HVAC and Plumbing Services in Southwest Florida
Arctic Air Home Services is an HVAC and plumbing company based in Sarasota, FL. We have many years of experience serving homeowners throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. Our company has HVAC technicians and plumbers on call around the clock for emergencies. We can help you prepare your home through energy assessments, IAQ evaluations, and seasonal maintenance. Our team is also available for plumbing and HVAC repairs, replacements, and new installations.
Call today to schedule an appointment or get answers to any questions you may have.
