A new storm recovery program in Florida is helping homeowners whose properties were destroyed or damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton last year to raise their homes and make them more resilient to extreme weather events. The state division leading the residential mitigation program, which is federally funded, said it is the first of its kind.
Why It Matters
Helene and Milton, which struck Florida in late September and late October, respectively,
caused billions in damage , wreaking havoc in coastal communities, tearing apart homes and flooding streets with mud and water. A majority of the damage caused by Helene was caused by storm surge and inland flooding, which are less likely to be covered by normal homeowners' insurance policies. Only 1 percent of homes in the areas hardest hit by Helene had flood insurance, according to Fathom Global, a company that uses flood hazard and climate change data to calculate risk. Many of those who lost their homes to the storms
are likely struggling to rebuild their properties , never mind building them back bigger and stronger to mitigate future risks. Mitigation efforts like the ones promoted by the program will be crucial to ensuring the sustainability of Florida's property insurance market in the future. While higher costs and catastrophe exposure have led to insurers cutting coverage and rising premiums in Florida, making homes more resilient to extreme weather events could counteract this trend and
keep rates stable in the disaster-prone state. What To Know
The new program, called Elevate Florida, is led by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), which responds to both natural and man-made disasters in the Sunshine State. The program's goal is to speed up reconstruction efforts in the areas affected by Helene and Milton in 2024 and incorporate mitigation strategies within this process. Elevate Florida is now accepting applications. To be eligible for the program, applicants must be U.S. citizens over 18, the legal property owner of a residential property in Florida and able to contribute up to 25 percent of the project's total cost. The program will cover the other 75 percent. No assistance is available from the state to cover the property owner's part of the costs. The program will fund structure elevation, mitigation reconstruction, acquisition and demolition and wind mitigation for single- and multifamily homes, including duplexes, triplexes, condos, townhomes, semidetached homes, apartments and manufactured homes. The property does not need to have experienced flooding or damage in the past to be eligible, but applications may be prioritized based on a history of loss, FDEM said. Secondary residences may be considered should enough funding be available. Those considering applying to the program can do so through the Elevate Florida Portal. The application process lasts about 20 minutes, according to FDEM.
What People Are Saying
FDEM wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday: "The application portal for Elevate Florida, a first-of-its-kind statewide residential mitigation program, is now live! This program enhances community resilience by mitigating private residences against natural hazards."
Dean Trantalis, mayor of Fort Lauderdale, wrote on X: "Fort Lauderdale residents now have an opportunity to make their homes more resilient through Elevate Florida, a statewide residential mitigation grant program led by the Florida Department of Emergency Management.... Ensuring our community is prepared for the increasing challenges of severe weather is a priority, and this program is an important step toward protecting both individual homes and the city as a whole."
St. Pete Beach's Interim Community Development Director Denise Sanderson told Fox 13: "Any time you can elevate above the flood plain, reduce the impacts to your personal home and belongings, it benefits them, certainly benefits the community."
What's Next
While the program is great news for Florida homeowners who suffered major losses last year because of the hurricanes, the relief won't come quickly. FDEM says it will take one to two years to go through the program, with the construction phase taking the longest—between three and nine months. Before that, reviewing the received applications is estimated to take between one and four months, while decision and approval will take two to three months. After construction, a final inspection taking between one and three months will be necessary to close out the project.
