MACCLENNY, Fla. -- For flood victims like Virgil Johnson, the road to recovery is a long one. Almost two weeks after Debby's downpours, he says his neighborhood is still soaked.
"There's five of us under water," he said. Johnson had some questions about what kind of help he could get, so he came to FEMA's Disaster Recovery Center in Macclenny. "I thought I'd come up here and just see what they would cover."
Patricia Whitt with FEMA says the recovery center is a one stop shop for people in need. "The type of federal assistance available could be in the form of rental assistance, necessary home repairs, and also the Small Business Administration will be on hand to talk about low interest loans to cover items that are not insured."
You'll also find state agencies offering information about food stamps. And the Red Cross is there handing out clean up kits. "We're doing whatever we can to make sure that you get the necessary assistance under the law," said Whitt.
Mr. Johnson says it will cost him thousands of dollars to replace what he lost in the flood. So, he's seeing what kind of help he can get through the government, because like many hurting homeowners out here, he's learning there's holes in his insurance policy.
Right now, there are eleven north Florida counties eligible for FEMA assistance. In our area, Baker Bradford, Clay, and Columbia are covered.
If you need federal assistance, you need to register. The sooner you register, the sooner you can get help.
You can do that by calling 1-800-621-FEMA. Or do it online at www.disasterassistance.gov.
And if you'd like to visit the Disaster Recovery Center, it's located at 337 N. 7th Street in Macclenny. It's open seven days a week, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
