The Red Cross is now starting to get emergency financial assistance into the hands of Florida residents whose homes were severely impacted. To be eligible for immediate financial assistance, the applicant’s primary residence must have suffered major damage or was destroyed.

• Major damage is indicated by significant structural damage to a residence that requires extensive repairs. This may include substantial failure of the roof, walls or foundation, or a water line above 18 inches.
• A residence that is destroyed is one that is a total loss or with damage so extensive that repair is not feasible.

The majority of eligible households will receive an invitation to complete an application through an email, text message or phone call directly from the Red Cross. People who fall into this category include those whose homes for which the Red Cross has contact information and have been verified by FEMA, the Red Cross or another agency to have sustained major structural damage or have been destroyed. This is a real program and not a scam.

If a household believes it has qualifying damage but has not received a call, text or email from the Red Cross then the household will have an opportunity to visit www.redcross.org/Ian to make an in-person appointment to enroll for assistance at one of the recovery assistance locations opening on November 28, 2022. This program will be open from November 14 - December 19, 2022.

If there is not a location near you, please know that the Red Cross is also working with partners and community advocates to reach people that we do not have contact information for and whose homes were destroyed or sustained major damage. This will include pop-up locations and mobile teams in impacted communities that will begin the week of November 28; walk in locations will be added to www.redcross.org/ian as they open.