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Disaster Recovery and Preparation
Hurricane Ian Recovery
Community Legal Services helps people affected by disasters by providing free disaster recovery legal services and assistance in identifying other available aid resources. This page provides a collection of videos to help you and your family members cope with disasters.
Contact us when you need legal help with your disaster preparations or recovery.
We have collected an array of resources that may be helpful to families throughout Florida affected by Hurricane Ian.
We will continue to add resources to this page as they become available.
Hurricane Ian Recovery
You can reach Duke Energy at 800-769-3766. Report your outage by texting OUT to 57801, report online or call 800.228.8485.
You can contact OUC at 407-423-9018.
Winter Park Electric Outage Map
To report a power outage, please call 877-811-8700.
Federal Emergency Management
Did you know that FEMA offers different kinds of financial relief for Hurricane Ian survivors? They can help both home owners and renters alike to find temporary safe housing or even replace the food lost during prolonged power outages if you live in a disaster-declared county.
Visit FEMA’s website for information or apply for FEMA benefits here.
In order to gain access to FEMA financial help, the county you live in must be declared a disaster area.
Our FEMA informational page may offer additional information that can help you.
SNAP/Food Stamps/EBT
Here is the link to the most current information from the Florida Department of Children and Families. Check this page first for the latest information!
The Department of Children and Families is releasing food assistance benefits earlier than scheduled to Floridians that may be impacted by Hurricane Ian. This is an early release of regular benefits, not a distribution of additional funds. There is no need to apply for the early release; eligible recipients will have the benefits automatically added to their EBT card.
If you were scheduled to receive benefits between October 1st through October 14th, benefits are now being uploaded to your EBT card. If you are scheduled to receive benefits between October 15th through October 28th, they will be issued at the regular scheduled time.
Three Ways SNAP Can Help Families After Disaster
The state of Florida is gradually opening its D-SNAP benefits program by county. Their phased opening plan is here.
D-SNAP assistance is targeted to county residents who were not receiving SNAP/Food Stamps prior to Hurricane Ian, but who are now in need of a little financial help to feed their families.You can register on the website for the Department of Children and Families, here.
Medical Equipment and Supplies
CMS will temporarily waive certain requirements to enable people with Medicare who have lost or realized damage to their durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies as a result of the hurricane to receive replacements of such items and services. This will help to ensure beneficiaries can continue to access the needed medical equipment and supplies they rely on each day. Medicare beneficiaries can contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for assistance.
Price-Gouging Hotline
The Florida Attorney General’s price-gouging hotline is open.
During a storm-related declared state of emergency, state law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, such as food, water, hotel rooms, ice, gasoline, lumber, equipment and storm-related services needed as a direct result of the event.
If you experience any extreme price increases for items listed above, you can report it by calling (866) 9NO-SCAM or visit their webpage for details on their mobile app.
Watch for Scams
The list of scams grows and changes each day and hurricanes always increase the likelihood that you may run across people who try to cheat you.
Many courts have announced closures due to Hurricane Ian.
See the Florida Supreme Court website for announcements on court closures: https://www.floridasupremecourt.org/Weather-Related-Emergency-Orders
- Middle District of Florida
- Update: The Ocala division is open. The Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa divisions will open on Monday, October 3. The Fort Myers division will be closed through at least Friday, October 7. All in-person proceedings scheduled to occur next week in the Fort Myers courthouse have been postponed. Most telephone and zoom hearings scheduled in Fort Myers cases have also been postponed. Check the individual case docket for more information. The Court’s website (www.flmd.uscourts.gov) will be updated as more information becomes available. If you have a time-sensitive matter in the meantime, contact the Tampa division clerk’s office at 813-301-5400.
Getting around is difficult due to flooding and storm debris. Here are some resources to assist.
- Find gas with GasBuddy
- Toll suspension map
- Traffic
- SunRail
- LYNX
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
County Shelters – includes information on special needs and pet friendly shelters.
- State shelters database
- Brevard
- Citrus – Special Needs Shelter
- Flagler – Special Needs Shelter
- Hernando – School District shelters open 8a Tuesday 9/27, Special Needs Shelter
- Lake – Special Needs Shelter
- Marion – School District shelters
- Orange
- Osceola
- Putnam
- Seminole
- Sumter
- Volusia
Other
- Rosen Hotels & Resorts is offering “Distress Rates” for Floridians Evacuating Ian. Pet-friendly, no additional pet fees during the “distress rates”
- Expedia Emergency Accommodations Module for real-time hotel and lodging availability throughout the state.
Items to take with you to a shelter:
- Identification, important papers, cash. (Keep these items on you at all times. Shelters are not responsible for lost or stolen items.)
- Special dietary food, snacks or comfort food, water or other non-alcoholic beverages
- Bedding: pillow, blanket, etc.
- Ear plugs, headphones for electronics.
- Extra clothing.
- Medications and medical supplies.
- Oxygen supplies or arrange with your oxygen company to deliver to the designated special needs shelter oxygen shelter.
- Toiletry items.
- Flashlight and batteries.
- Diapers, infant and elderly/disabled necessities.
- Time occupier such as books, magazines, games or cards.
- Charging cables for electronics, backup batteries.
VA Health Centers – Closed clinics: Clermont VA Clinic, Deltona VA Clinic, Kissimmee VA Clinic, Lake Baldwin VA Clinic, Palm Bay VA Clinic, Port Orange VA Clinic, Tavares VA Clinic, Viera VA Clinic, West Pavilion VA Clinic, Daytona Beach VA Clinic, the Orlando VA Medical Center will be partially closed with the emergency department remaining open for urgent/emergent needs and surgical/medical procedures will be curtailed and reviewed.
The State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) provides an additional resource for Floridians to receive up-to-date information regarding Hurricane Ian. Residents and visitors can call this toll-free hotline at 1-800-342-3557
County Emergency Management and Other Information
- Brevard County
- Citrus County and their Citizen Information Line at 352-249-2775
- Flagler County
- Hernando County
- Lake County
- Marion County
- Orange County
- Orlando residents can call 407-246-HELP in the event of downed trees, damaged traffic lights, or if they need to report home damage.
- Osceola County
- Putnam County
- Seminole County and the Seminole County Hurricane Ian Dashboard
- Sumter County
- Volusia County and the Volusia County Citizens Information Center is open. Volusia County residents may call 866-345-0345 for storm-related information, sandbags, disaster preparation and community resources.
- Governor’s webpage
- Situation map
- Click here to Sign-up for statewide emergency alerts and public safety announcements.
- Red Cross
- Important information for Veterans
- Do you know your evacuation zone? Find it here.
- Crisis Cleanup – FREE assistance with debris removal 800-451-1954. Service not guaranteed due to overwhelming need.
- Mental health resources are available. Survivors experiencing emotional distress can call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990. 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.
If you or someone you know struggles with mental health or substance dependencies and is affected by a disaster, reach out to the SAMSA distress line. You are not alone!
Disaster Distress Helpline
Call or Text: 800–985–5990
Visit DisasterDistress.samhsa.gov
Español: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto 800–985–5990 presiona “2”
For Deaf and Hard of Hearing ASL Callers: To connect directly to an agent in American Sign Language, click the “ASL Now” button below or call 1–800–985–5990 from your videophone. ASL Support is available 24/7.
Disaster Preparation
Watch this video from The American Red Cross about preparing your family ahead of time.
This page also contains some of FEMA’s family worksheets to help you be prepared for various situations. You can download these from the top right section of the page.
Recovery and Relief Videos
After a natural disaster, you can register with FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov
or call them at 800-631-6362.
Immediately after a declared disaster, FEMA sets up local Recovery Centers. Visit their website to watch an informational video about how a FEMA Recovery center works and how they can help you.
Go to our Disaster webpage to read detailed information about your legal rights during and after a natural disaster.
