Hurricane Recovery

Council members unanimously accepted the U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant and have already appropriated $13 million.

Said Don Ferguson, 71: "I'm so tired of working. This is supposed to be my retirement years, and I'm working harder now than I worked at work."

The county received $210 million in Community Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for long-term recovery efforts following last year's hurricanes.

Suwannee County was the hardest hit during Helene, said Christa Court, director of UF/IFAS' Economic Impact Analysis Program.

The city must fix the stadium under its 30-year contract with the Rays that runs through 2028. Council members voiced concerns about the price spikes, with the cost reaching just under$60 million.

The Senior Disaster Support Program is designed to empower seniors across the Tampa Bay region through hurricane preparation and recovery.

Help from the state would be beneficial, considering the county typically spends only around $10 million on similar projects.

The program is called the Tampa Bay Long-Term Disaster Recovery Center Initiative and will have three centers with “navigators” to help people find the resources they need.

Construction on the Safety Harbor Pier was set to begin when Hurricane Helene rolled in a few months after Hurricane Debby, and destroyed it.

Floridians can receive a weekly benefit up to $275 if their employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to a major disaster.

The $709.3 million would assist Hillsborough County in recovering from damages caused by Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene and Milton.

Although Hurricane Helene hit in September of 2024, Cedar Island resident Jody Griffis still doesn't have a permanent home.