Early numbers show Frances and Jeanne damaged 484 Hernando homes and 2,494 residents are seeking financial aid.
By WILL VAN SANT
Published October 15, 2004
BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County escaped a direct hit during the recent spate of hurricanes but did not come through unscathed.
The extent of the damage is becoming clear as county officials complete assessments and early numbers emerge on the federal aid that has been doled out in the county.
According to emergency management officials, Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne damaged 484 homes in Hernando. Of those, 49 are classified as destroyed, meaning they are uninhabitable. Another 121 are listed as having major structural damage.
The remainder lost awnings and gutters.
While wind played a role in much of the destruction, the main culprit was downed trees that battered homes, officials said. They urged property owners to heed that lesson and make an effort to keep limbs trimmed and trees healthy.
Some of the damage was dramatic, including a Hernando Beach home whose roof Jeanne lifted then slammed back down.
"What we found fascinating was the number of trees that fell and missed homes," county emergency management director Tom Leto said.
The two storms also caused flooding in 94 homes, according to assessments. Some of the flooded homes are among those listed as having sustained structural damage. As waters recede and officials are able to reach now inaccessible areas, the number of homes listed as flooded may rise.
Officials are also attributing one death, that of 77-year-old Marvin Isaacson, to the busy storm season.
On Sept. 25, the day before Jeanne struck, Isaacson was preparing his Spring Hill home for the storm, when according to emergency management officials, he suffered a heart attack. Isaacson, a Chicago native, was a Red Cross instructor for 40 years and a member of the county's volunteer Community Emergency Response Team.
Along with much of Florida, the county has been declared a federal disaster area, clearing the way for financial aid for Hernando government and private citizens to cover uninsured losses.
President Bush declared Hernando eligible for federal aid on Sept. 5, in the wake of Frances and on Sept. 26 for Jeanne. People seeking assistance have until Dec. 11 to register with the federal government, though the eligibility period may be extended.
For individuals seeking assistance, the standard way to begin the application process is by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency's registration number, 1-800-621-FEMA.
As of Wednesday, 2,494 Hernando residents had called and registered for aid, compared to 4,988 in Pasco County and 3,579 in Citrus County.
FEMA officials did not have figures on the number of county residents who had been awarded grants or how much money had been given out. But six grants over $5,100 had been awarded, FEMA officials said, and an additional five at the maximum grant amount of $25,600.
In Pasco, 28 grants over $5,100 had been awarded and 10 grants at the maximum aid amount; in Citrus eight grants over $5,100 had been awarded and eight more at the maximum.
More than $313.5-million has been given out across the state in emergency housing aid so far. That money goes for immediate repairs and to house displaced individuals in hotels and trailers. The federal government pays 100 percent of such housing assistance.
In addition to emergency housing aid, county residents and businesses are also eligible for low interest loans through the Small Business Administration. In Hernando, two home repair loans have been approved for $58,000; in Citrus, one home loan for $34,600 and in Pasco two loans totaling $48,000.
But officials predict those numbers will rise considerably.
"As for Frances, our loan application volume is beginning to pick up," said SBA spokesman Tony Bauer. "Jeanne for all intents and purposes is just getting started."
The county is also eligible for federal aid to cover repairs to damaged public infrastructure and overtime worked by government employees. The federal government is paying 90 percent of such aid, the state 5 percent. Hernando County will make up the rest.
Leto and other county officials are now compiling damage reports for FEMA, attempting to detail what losses can be attributed to Frances and what to Jeanne in an effort to maximize the federal assistance Hernando gets.
"It's an incredible challenge keeping up with it all," Leto said. "But I think we have a good accounting system in the county."
Leto estimated Hernando would get between $4 to $5-million. The figure does not include what the School Board and Brooksville may seek in aid.
Typically, local government aid is awarded nine months to a year after a disaster strikes, Leto said.
