Prepare Supplies

• Basic Needs: Water (one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation), food (at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food), manual can opener (for food), infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream, pet food and extra water for your pet, sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes, feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Electrical Items: Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, flashlight, extra batteries, cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
• Medical Supplies: First aid kit, dust mask (to help filter contaminated air), moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties (for personal sanitation), prescription medications, non-prescription medications (pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids or laxatives), prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution
• Miscellaneous: Important family documents (copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container), plastic sheeting, cash or traveler's checks, scissors and duct tape (to shelter in place), wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities), local maps, fire extinguisher, matches in a waterproof container, mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils, Paper and pencil, books, games, puzzles or other activities for children, whistle (to signal for help)

Financial Preparation

• Contemplate for a shortage or lack of Banks/ATM Machines, carry cash instead in a secured bag.
  
  • Keep important family documents (copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container).
• Prepare to make insurance claims
  • Most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Do an annual “insurance check-up” with your agent to make sure you have the right coverage and amounts of coverage.
  • Take photos and videos of all major household items and valuables. Retain these documents in a safe place because they are important when filing insurance claims.
  • Save copies of birth certificates, passports, medical records, and insurance papers in a safe, dry place. Keep original documents in a watertight safety deposit box.
  • How to start a flood claim.
  • Keep receipts of purchases or repairs to support your reimbursement claims.
  • If your insurance company is attempting to diminish the costs or refusing to cover hurricane insurance, contact an insurance attorney.

Emergency Contact

• Download the free FEMA app available in English and Spanish to receive real-time weather alerts and find local emergency shelters in your area. You can find more hurricane preparedness information on Ready.gov (Listo.gov para Espanol).
• FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) Locator
• You can also find a DRC by texting “DRC” and your 5-digit zip code to 43362.
• Red Cross: Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) and provide as many details as possible to help operators locate loved ones.
• Finding Friends and Family After Hurricane Helene
• Use Uber code MILTONRELIEF in order to receive a free Uber ride to a shelter.
• If you are in an evacuation zone and need evacuation assistance, please call 1-800-729-3413. Again, this is for residents that are in evacuation zones.
• If someone is missing a child related to this disaster or any other incident, they need to call 9-1-1 and then 1-800-THE-LOST to receive assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Red Cross

Assistance at the Red Cross Shelter is free and provided to everyone who shows up.

• Meals, snacks, & 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 & 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

* In order to receive assistance from the Red Cross, one must provide them their name and where they were living prior to the disaster. No identification required!

Florida: 

• The state of Florida has activated the State Assistance Information Line. Residents needing information and resources can call 1-800-342-3557. There are English, Spanish & Creole speakers available to answer questions.
• Evacuation Orders for Florida counties can be found here. County-specific emergency management sites can be found here.
• Call 211 or visit FL211.org for any questions about essential government services
• List of local emergency radio networks in Florida: 
  • WGCU FM – Ft. Myers/Naples
  • WQCS FM – Ft. Pierce
  • WUFT FM – Gainesville/Ocala
  • WJCT FM – Jacksonville
  • WFIT FM – Melbourne
  • WLRN FM – Miami
  • WDNA FM – Miami
  • WMFE FM – Orlando
  • WUCF FM – Orlando
  • WKGC FM – Panama City
  • WUWF FM – Pensacola
  • WFSU FM – Tallahassee
  • WMNF FM – Tampa/St.Pete
  • WUSF FM – Tampa/St.Pete
• Additional updates can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/Updates

Resources for Housing, Utilities, and Food

Housing

• DisasterAssistance.gov Find Assistance: Fill out the questionnaire to see which housing assistance programs you qualify for.
• FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance:You need to have a FEMA Registration number, which you can get from a Disaster Recovery Center or calling 800-621-3362.
• How to find housing after a disaster: 
  • In most parts of the U.S., dial 211 to connect with local social services and referrals for emergency housing. 
• Mortgage help and home repair loans after a disaster at USA.gov

Utilities/Bills

• LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs) Map State and Territory Contact Listing 
• Get help with bills after a disaster

Food

• Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Service disaster assistance
  
  • USDA Foods are currently stored in every state and U.S. territory and may be used by state agencies or local disaster relief organizations to provide food to shelters or families/individuals who are sheltering in place.

• D-SNAP disaster food relief: 
  • If retail food stores are operating in the impacted area, state agencies may request to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP).
  • A state or U.S. territory may request additional disaster waiver flexibilities to assist existing SNAP households affected by a disaster to have their regular program benefits replaced if food purchased with benefits was destroyed.
  • At the request of a state or U.S. territory and in the event of a Presidential Disaster Declaration for individual assistance, FNS may approve a waiver that allows SNAP households to purchase hot, prepared foods for immediate consumption for a period of time.

Funeral Assistance

Fill out the questionnaire at DissasterAssistance.gov to see if you are eligible to receive funeral expenses assistance. These expenses may include:

• Cost of casket or urn
• Funeral services
• Transportation of the deceased and/or up to two family members into the area to identify the decedent (if required by state/local authorities)
• Costs associated with producing and certifying up to five death certificates
• Burial plot or cremation niche
• Interment
• Cost of reinterment if disinterment is caused by the declared disaster, and/or occurs in a family cemetery on private property

The criteria for eligibility is determined by whether FEMA is able to obtain and verify:

• An official state-issued death certificate or a signed statement from a medical examiner, coroner or other certifier stating that the death was directly or indirectly related to the disaster.
• Evidence of an unmet funeral expense – a receipt or verifiable estimates for funeral expenses that indicate the applicant incurred, or will incur, the funeral expenses.
• Confirmation that funeral expenses have not been paid for by other resources. By law, FEMA cannot provide you a grant when any other source – Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits – has covered expenses for the same disaster-related need. If you have already received those benefits for funeral expenses, the amount you received would be subtracted from your FEMA award.

Additional Information

Can’t find the information you need? Search on these sites!: 

• www.usa.gov/hurricane-milton 
• www.disasterassistance.gov/get-assistance/find-assistance
• www.usa.gov/disaster 

Do your part to stop the spread of rumors by doing three easy things: 

• Find trusted sources of information, such as websites that end in .gov (FEMA.gov, Ready.gov), the Red Cross.

Hurricane Helen: A Help Guide: click here.