St. Lucie County Hurricane Milton Update No. 10

Published on October 17, 2024

St. Lucie County

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – More than 2,200 residents have been assisted in the first few days of opening the Multi-Resource Agency Center (MARC) inside the Fenn Center. As the number of residents seeking assistance has begun to decline, the hours of operations have been adjusted.

The MARC is now open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fenn Center, 2000 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce. Organizations on-site include Hope Navigators registering unmet needs, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Children & Families, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, State Emergency Response Team and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

St. Lucie County’s public information lines will cease operations on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.  St. Lucie County’s public information lines - 772-460-HELP (4357) – are being answered daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Saturday, Oct. 19.

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance

If you sustained damage or loss from Hurricane Milton, FEMA may be able to help. You may be eligible for financial assistance for displacement, serious needs, temporary lodging, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other uninsured disaster-related expenses.

  • Quickest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Or use the FEMA App for mobile devices.
  • You can also call the FEMA helpline toll-free at 800-621-3362.

A FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Team will be in the area over the next few days going door-to-door to help disaster survivors who experienced home or personal property damage during Hurricane Milton apply for FEMA disaster assistance.  Please ask these FEMA representatives to show you their FEMA identification badge.  If you prefer, you can always call 800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov to apply.  If you apply on your own and a DSA representative visits you at your home, you can ask the representative to check the status of your application.    

Blue Roof Program

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District announced the start of the Operation Blue Roof Program for St. Lucie County. USACE is tasked by FEMA to assist eligible homeowners with temporary roof repairs. The program provides a temporary blue covering with fiber-reinforced sheeting to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. Operation Blue Roof is a free service to homeowners in Indian River and St. Lucie counties. The initial sign-up period is set for 21 days and ends Nov. 5. Florida Residents affected by Hurricane Milton can sign-up at http://www.blueroof.gov/, by calling 888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258) or by visiting a Right-of-Entry collection center throughout the affected areas.

Closures

St. Lucie County offices, attractions and libraries are open for normal operations. However, library programs such as story time have been suspended through Sunday, Oct. 20 as library staff are assisting with relief efforts and the public information lines. Additionally, recreation programs at the Fenn Center have been canceled for the week as the site is being used for disaster relief efforts.

All St. Lucie County preserves remain closed until further notice as many sites are flooded and trails have downed trees.

St. Lucie County parks are open with the exception of the following:

  • White City Park, 2081 W Midway Road, Fort Pierce
  • Blind Creek Beach, 5460 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
  • Walton Rocks Beach / Dog Park, 6700 S Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach 

Damages

Early estimates indicate that St. Lucie County (unincorporated only) had more than 150 homes destroyed; 146 sustained major damage, while 368 homes had minor damage at a total cost of $485 million. Residents are encouraged to help document the damage from Hurricane Milton by using the county’s self-reporting - https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e5d5cb7556f2464787f6e94e38c664da.

St. Lucie County reminds residents and businesses that unlicensed contractors from outside the area will be looking for those seeking speedy repair.  To avoid being taken advantage of or stuck with repairs/fines that the homeowner could be responsible for:

  • Always hire a Florida-licensed contractor
  • Get at least three written quotes for any job
  • Never put down more than a 10 percent deposit

To verify a license, residents can visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com, and click verify a license or email St. Lucie County’s Contractor Licenses Division at johnsonrox@stlucieco.org.

 The current death toll in St. Lucie County from Hurricane Milton recently increased to seven fatalities.

 Additional information can be found at www.stlucieco.gov and on St. Lucie County’s social media channels @Stluciegov.

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