DUNEDIN, Fla. — Many who reside in Westwind Cellular Dwelling Park close to Dunedin are nonetheless being hit with a vortex of stress, anguish, and anxiousness virtually seven months after Hurricane Helene.
Cyndi Varney is aware of that firsthand.
“We don’t sleep properly in any respect anymore— not since we bought the letter,” she mentioned.
In March, she obtained 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, should elevate, relocate, or abandon their house except they’ll show it isn’t considerably broken.
A whole bunch extra throughout Pinellas County face the identical dilemma.
“A number of these persons are aged,” mentioned Norma Scheele, who additionally lives at Westwind and was additionally going through a considerable injury dedication lately. “They haven’t any place else to go.”
Monday, Pinellas County offered some reduction.
The county moved the compliance deadline from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2026, which implies 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 properties whereas working towards compliance.
“Nonetheless, it doesn’t allow householders to undertake enhancements past minor repairs mandatory for security and habitability,” a Pinellas County spokesperson clarified. “Owners are anticipated to show progress towards compliance throughout this era.”
The county spokesperson mentioned the extension would additionally give folks extra time to doubtlessly obtain monetary reduction, which might come from the $813 million grant the county obtained from the federal authorities earlier this yr. The county is at present drawing up a plan to spend that cash to greatest assist storm victims.
“What can we get assist with?” Rod Varney mentioned. “You recognize, 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 though the within didn’t flood throughout Hurricane Helene.
“That is the placement that we selected to be in and we invested in all these years,” Cyndi mentioned.
For now, the stress, anguish, and anxiousness aren’t going anyplace anytime quickly.
The Might 31, 2025, deadline to file for a reassessment of a considerable injury dedication has not modified.
In response to the county, within the occasion of a named storm this upcoming hurricane season, folks dwelling in properties with a considerable injury dedication and short-term occupancy permits should observe the identical evacuation orders as different residents.
“If there had simply been a trooper up there, possibly this complete factor might have been averted.”
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