PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The Gulfport mayor is asking the state for more help with hurricane recovery.

Mayor Sam Henderson sent a letter on Feb. 6 to Gov. Ron DeSantis, Reps. Linda Chaney and Anna Paulina Luna, and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and State Sen. Nick DiCeglie asking for additional assistance.

He also addressed housing subsidies for residents, issues with FEMA and ongoing issues with Tidal Basin, the state-contracted company to provide residents with recovery support.

“I write you today calling for additional assistance in expediting the hurricane recovery process for our residents and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene,” the mayor stated in his letter. “As you know, coastal communities and their residents are hurting, frustrated and in need of help. Likewise, local governments are struggling to comply with FEMA and NFIP requirements in a timely fashion.

"We need immediate intervention to get this process moving without putting our cities and their residents at economic risk down the road.”

Henderson added that state contractor company Tidal Basin has performed “abysmally and local governments are left to correct the errors.”  

He said the contractors have no accountability to the communities they are paid to serve, and it shows.

Henderson then went on to ask for temporary housing subsidies and more financial assistance.

State Rep. Chaney said she and her office are trying to get to the bottom of the situation and see what can be done to help.

In a response to Henderson, she said: “Myself and Sen. DiCeglie are proposing a Disaster Recovery Residents Bill of Rights with a focus on cutting the red tape to get residents, businesses and our local governments the help they need to recover quickly and efficiently. FDEM (Florida Division of Emergency Management) has assured us they are working on this. I will be following up.”

According to officials, Helene caused significant damage in Gulfport, including storm surge, flooding and debris. The waterfront and downtown areas were especially impacted.

About 25 percent of the town was flooded, causing business and residential damage. 

"We've got a lot of people out of their homes very upset, businesses closed, and our staff is absolutely overworked, despite bringing in more people and having some aid provided by the state," Henderson said. "It non the less is long and painful for people and they've had it."


READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW: 

Good Afternoon Governor Desantis, Congresswoman Luna, Representative Chaney and Senator Diciglie,

I write you today calling for additional assistance in expediting the hurricane recovery process for our residents and businesses impacted by Hurricane Helene. As you know, coastal communities and their residents are hurting, frustrated and in need of help. Likewise, local governments are struggling to comply with FEMA and NFIP requirements in a timely fashion. We need immediate intervention to get this process moving without putting our cities and their residents at economic risk down the road.

Major issues we are facing:

The state contractor Tidal Basin has performed abysmally and local governments are left to correct the errors. They clearly have no accountability to the communities they are paid to serve and it shows. We need more capable and accountable assistance. They are generating ill will, additional delays and more work on already overtaxed residents and municipal departments.

Communicating to constituents that while local governments administer FEMA and NFIP processes and inspections, we are not the ones who set these guidelines. As Rep. Chaney has been kind enough to share with Pinellas communities, it is paramount that local governments are compliant in this matter. The long-term economic consequences are dire if we do not. Loss of insurance rating, risk of losing FEMA reimbursements and risking federally subsidized home mortgages.

Residents and businesses need additional resources beyond what local government can provide in the way of temporary housing subsidies and financial assistance. Many people have been out of their homes since October, and are looking to local governments to solve a crisis that far exceeds the capabilities of a municipal budget.

In short, we are not big enough for this lift and we need your help. We are counting on you.

All of you were right there to help in the days leading up to and following the storms, and we are grateful for those efforts. Unfortunately this battle isn’t over and your local governments and your constituents are feeling left to fend for themselves.

Many of us received Congresswoman Luna’s flyer in the mail recently. We would love to hear about any pending legislation and how you can expedite and streamline this process. As a Mayor, I will be glad to work with all of you.

I will be forwarding this to Senator Scott as well.

Thank you for your consideration and forthcoming action.

Yours,

Mayor Sam Henderson

Gulfport FL