DUNEDIN, Fla. — Many who stay in Westwind Cell Dwelling Park close to Dunedin are nonetheless being hit with a vortex of stress, anguish, and nervousness nearly seven months after Hurricane Helene.
Cyndi Varney is aware of that firsthand.
“We don’t sleep effectively in any respect anymore— not since we bought the letter,” she stated.
In March, she acquired a letter with penalties: a considerable injury letter from Pinellas County. Due to a FEMA rule for particular flood hazard areas, Varney and her husband, Rod, must elevate, relocate, or abandon their house except they’ll show it isn’t considerably broken.
A whole lot extra throughout Pinellas County face the identical dilemma.
“A number of these individuals are aged,” stated Norma Scheele, who additionally lives at Westwind and was additionally going through a considerable injury dedication just lately. “They don’t have any place else to go.”
Monday, Pinellas County supplied some aid.
The county moved the compliance deadline from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2026, which suggests householders now have greater than a yr to both comply, present they’re attempting to conform or work their reassessment case.
This extension permits householders to stay of their houses whereas working towards compliance.
“Nonetheless, it doesn’t allow householders to undertake enhancements past minor repairs essential for security and habitability,” a Pinellas County spokesperson clarified. “Owners are anticipated to show progress towards compliance throughout this era.”
The county spokesperson stated the extension would additionally give individuals extra time to doubtlessly obtain monetary aid, which might come from the $813 million grant the county acquired from the federal authorities earlier this yr. The county is at present drawing up a plan to spend that cash to finest assist storm victims.
“What can we get assist with?” Rod Varney stated. “You already know, it’s out of pocket.”
The Varneys are skeptical that the deadline extension will in the end assist them. If something, they consider it delays the inevitable: the choice they could must make to desert their house, which they are saying was declared considerably broken regardless that the within didn’t flood throughout Hurricane Helene.
“That is the situation that we selected to be in and we invested in all these years,” Cyndi stated.
For now, the stress, anguish, and nervousness aren’t going wherever anytime quickly.
The Might 31, 2025, deadline to file for a reassessment of a considerable injury dedication has not modified.
In accordance with the county, within the occasion of a named storm this upcoming hurricane season, individuals residing in houses with a considerable injury dedication and non permanent occupancy permits should comply with the identical evacuation orders as different residents.
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