DUNEDIN, Fla. — Many who dwell in Westwind Cell Dwelling Park close to Dunedin are nonetheless being hit with a vortex of stress, anguish, and anxiousness nearly seven months after Hurricane Helene.
Cyndi Varney is aware of that firsthand.
“We don’t sleep properly in any respect anymore— not since we acquired the letter,” she stated.
In March, she acquired a letter with penalties: a considerable harm 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 residence until they will show it isn’t considerably broken.
Tons of extra throughout Pinellas County face the identical dilemma.
“A variety of these individuals are aged,” stated Norma Scheele, who additionally lives at Westwind and was additionally dealing with a considerable harm willpower not too long ago. “They don’t have any place else to go.”
Monday, Pinellas County supplied 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 making an attempt 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. “Householders are anticipated to show progress towards compliance throughout this era.”
The county spokesperson stated the extension would additionally give folks extra time to doubtlessly obtain monetary reduction, which might come from the $813 million grant the county acquired from the federal authorities earlier this yr. The county is presently drawing up a plan to spend that cash to greatest assist storm victims.
“What can we get assist with?” Rod Varney stated. “, 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 may should make to desert their residence, which they are saying was declared considerably broken although 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 stated.
For now, the stress, anguish, and anxiousness aren’t going wherever anytime quickly.
The Might 31, 2025, deadline to file for a reassessment of a considerable harm willpower has not modified.
In line with the county, within the occasion of a named storm this upcoming hurricane season, folks residing in houses with a considerable harm willpower and non permanent occupancy permits should comply with the identical evacuation orders as different residents.
“If there had simply been a trooper up there, possibly this entire factor may have been averted.”
A choose in Florida is sharing the story of his son’s dying in hopes of serving to the Florida Freeway Patrol trooper scarcity.
FHP trooper scarcity leaves mother and father questioning if their son may have been saved