ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) -- St. Lucie County has released an update regarding its recovery efforts from Hurricane Milton.
According to the county, more than 2,200 residents were assisted in the first few days of opening a Multi-Resource Agency Center (MARC) inside the Fenn Center. The county says as the number of residents seeking assistance has dwindled, the hours of operations have declined.
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As of now MARC is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fenn Center located at 2000 Virginia Ave in Fort Pierce. On-site organizations include Hope Navigators registering unmet needs, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Children and Families, Department of Business and Professional Regulations, State Emergency Response Team and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
St. Lucie County's public information line will stop operations on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. If a resident is in need of assistance, they can call the public information lines at 772-460-HELP(4357). Lines are still being answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If a resident has suffered major loss or damages, FEMA maybe able to help.
Residents can apply for FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov, or they can use the FEMA mobile app or dial the helpline at 1(800)621-3362.
A FEMA Disaster Assistance (DSA) team will be in the area going door to door to help survivors who have experienced home or property damage apply for FEMA assistance. The county advises that you ask FEMA representatives to show their property badge. If residents prefer they can FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.Gov.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Jacksonville District announced the start of the Operation Blue Roof Program for St. Lucie County. The USACE was tasked by FEMA to assist eligible homeowners with temporary roof repairs.
The program will give homeowners a temporary blue covering with fiber-reinforced sheeting to help reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made.
The county says Operation Blue Roof is a free service to homeowners in Indian River and St. Lucie counties. The intitial sign up period is set for 21 days and will end on Nov. 5. Residents affected by Milton can sign up at www.blueroof.gov. You can also call Operation Blue Roof at 888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258).
St. Lucie County officials say offices, attractions and libraries are open for normal operations.
However, library programs such as story time have been suspended through Sunday, Oct. 20 as library staff are assisting with relief efforts and the public information lines. Recreation programs at the Fenn Center have also been canceled for the week due to it being used for disaster relief efforts.
St. Lucie County parks are open with the exception of the following:
In St. Lucie County contractors have already begun picking up debris in the hardest hit areas of the county. Contractors are expected to make through two passes throughout the county to collect vegetative debris. Crews are also running a 10-truck operation working 11-hour shifts over the next few months.
County officials say the schedule will be adjusted as more trucks/equipment/workforce become available. Residents can find the schedule on the county's website at www.stlucie.gov/departments-and-services/solid-waste. Residents who are in the city limits of Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie will need to check their municipality for debris removal.
Residents can check the zone by visiting: Debris Removal Zone Lookup (arcgis.com)
The county reminds residents and businesses to separate their trash into five categories:
According to the county estimates indicate that more than 150 homes were destroyed; 146 sustained major damage, while 368 homes had minor damage at a total cost of $485 million.
Residents are asked to help document damage from Hurricane Milton by using the county's self-reporting tool -https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/e5d5cb7556f2464787f6e94e38c664da.
St. Lucie County says unlicensed contractors from outside the area will be looking to take advantage of those seeking speedy repairs.
To avoid being taken advantage of or stuck with repairs/fines that the homeowner could be responsible for:
To verify a license Florida, residents can visit www.MyFloridalicense.com.Residents can also verify a St. Lucie County contractors license by [email protected].
The current death toll in St. Lucie County due to Hurricane Milton was increased to seven fatalities.