BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The federal response to Hurricane Ian took another important step in Brevard County as representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) started their effort to visit residents.

On Tuesday, members of the agency’s Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams were out in Brevard County to talk with residents whose homes fell within the path of the storm. It was the second day these teams were out in the community.

This is part of their work to visit 6,866 homes and apartments according to a FEMA spokesperson. They designated these types of task forces to visit all the counties with damage after Huricane Ian.

They don’t have a set time limit for how long it might take to canvas a county like Brevard. It depends on how quickly they can move from home to home. 

Crews are there to help answer questions that people may have and to help them register for help, if they need help recovering from the storm.

According to Brevard County officials, they will visit some of the hardest hit areas on the Space Coast. Those include Barefoot Bay, Merritt Island, Mims, Palm Bay, Port St. John, Scottsmoor, Titusville and West Melbourne.

One resident in a Merritt Island neighborhood said it thrilled her to see FEMA out and about. 

“Them coming out is essential for the elderly and the disabled. My husband is disabled, so if I weren’t here to handle that, he wouldn’t know what to do,” Julie Fritz-Hansen said. 

Until FEMA opens an office in Brevard County, here’s how residents can apply for help:

• https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
• Download the FEMA App for mobile devices
• Call toll-free 800-621-3362. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.