‘Depending on FEMA': St. Augustine family still waiting for federal help months after Hurricane Milton
It's been months since Hurricane Milton tore through the St. Augustine area, but Karen Stevens is still dealing with its impacts.
Action News Jax told you months ago when her driveway was completely washed out by Milton, leaving her and her family trapped inside their home.
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'If we had an emergency, we couldn't get in,' Stevens explained to Action News Jax on Wednesday.
Stevens said the county did come out and fill part of the driveway with asphalt just to be able to get vehicles in and out, but they've been told the remainder of the repairs are FEMA's responsibility.
Stevens tells Action News Jax the federal agency hasn't been easy to get a hold of. When she last spoke to FEMA on Jan. 21, Stevens said she was met with no updates to her case.
'They tell me it had not been looked at since November 1st, it is still on the [supervisor's] desk,' Stevens explained. 'I said 'Okay well can we at least try to get an inspection?' He said, 'You haven't had an inspection yet?' I said, 'No.' He said he would talk with a supervisor, try to get an inspection, and I would get an email within 24-48 hours, and I've gotten nothing.'
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Meanwhile, if her family were to just do the repairs themselves, Stevens said estimates have it costing around $7,000-$10,000 out of pocket.
'I know our family doesn't have that type of money to do, so that's why we're depending on FEMA to help out,' Stevens said.
Now, with their driveway significantly weakened while awaiting repairs, Stevens explained the driveway is unable to support the weight of first responder vehicles like an ambulance, providing safety concerns with her 78-year-old mother at home.
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'I do sympathize with everybody in North Carolina and now the people in California, but I just feel like the little people, like I consider our problem little to what they're going through, but we need just as much help as anyone else I would think,' Stevens added.
Action News Jax also reached out to FEMA directly for an update. While they said they're unable to discuss the details of the case due to privacy laws, they have escalated it to their case management team.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
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