Monies available for recovery from Hurricane Irma

By Cindy Jackson
Reporter
June 20, 2019 11:00 a.m.

Remember Hurricane Irma?

Pictured are Annalise Sinor and Stephanie Jerrell-Estep of Nassau P3, a new public private partnership created “to build individual and community resiliency, assist during disasters, and facilitate post disaster recovery within Nassau County.”

She hit back in 2017. A Category 5 hurricane, she made landfall in the US, pounding the Florida Keys with sustained winds of 130 mph. The date was Sunday, September 10th.

Long before that fateful day, however, Nassau County officials had been watching the storm and putting plans into place to guarantee the safety of residents. Sensing the enormity of the storm, mandatory evacuations for parts of the County were ordered days before.

Catastrophic damage was widespread. Countless roads were closed due to flooding and fallen debris, and thousands of homes were without power. It has been said that Hurricane Irma was the most intense hurricane to strike the continental United States since Katrina in 2005.

Personal property damage within Nassau County was estimated to be in excess of $15.4 million. Of the 3,057 Nassau County property owners that reported damage, the average cost per household was approximately $5,151. Nine homes were totally destroyed, according to The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis firm.

Annalise Sinor recently joined the staff of Nassau P3 as a summer associate. Sinor is a junior at the University of Florida studying Sociology and Environmental studies. After moving to Florida from Maryland, Annalise says, “I realized how dangerous it is to be living so close to the coast. I’m so excited to help hurricane survivors and to build a more resilient community.”

That was back in 2017 yet, almost two years later, some Nassau County residents still struggle in its aftermath – or in more appropriate terminology remain “in need of recovery,” – to the tune of about 130 homes.

Enter Nassau P3. Nassau P3 is a public private partnership based on a model developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It has been five years in the making here on our home front and was created, “to build individual and community resiliency, assist during disasters, and facilitate post disaster recovery within Nassau County.” Today, its 14-member board consists of highly trained individuals of varied disciplines.

While Nassau County and its Emergency Preparedness division has excellent efforts in place for prevention, preparedness, mitigation and response . . . there really hasn’t been a comprehensive and coordinated effort focused on recovery – until now.

As noted above, Nassau P3 has many functions but at this particular moment in time, the focus is on disaster recovery.

Help – and hope are here. There is money available and earmarked for Nassau County.

What is the origin of these funds? They include monies which have been donated to national organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, among other entities. As of June 19, 2019, in excess of $366,000 plus has been approved for disbursement and still more is available.

To that end, Nassau P3 has been actively educating residents about the assistance available – engaging in door to door canvassing, working with faith-based organizations and “word-of-mouth” advertising to reach storm-impacted families.

Thank goodness. What may have started as a leaky roof can quickly turn deadly – with costs escalating virtually out of control as mold is wont to set in, requiring even more costly remediation efforts and repairs. Sadly, some residents in need of recovery assistance, don’t have any insurance and even those who do, are rarely reimbursed for the full cost of repairs. Nassau P3 can help in both situations.

However, deadlines are fast approaching for certain available monies. July and August 2019 contain some “drop-dead” dates so those in need must act quickly.

To determine eligibility, Nassau County residents simply need to call one of the three main partners in this effort. They are:

• Endeavors at 904-610-4842,
• Nassau P3 at 904-798-0488 and
• Nassau County Emergency Management at 904-548-0900

During the initial intake call, information is gathered, needs assessed, service providers identified and once that process is completed, it is the case manager’s responsibility to oversee the awarding of funds. Checks are processed and received in about two to four to weeks — a few have even been received in just eight days!

But that’s not all. In addition to managing requests for assistance, Nassau P3 also solicits bids from local contractors to assist in recovery efforts. They are NOT asking for volunteer contractors but instead, have monies available to hire contractors – local contractors that reside and work in the local community.

It’s a win-win situation anyway you look at it.

If you know of someone who might benefit from a helping hand, tell a neighbor, tell a friend . . . Nassau P3, is here to help – at 904-798-0488.

Editor’s Note: Born in Hagerstown, Maryland, Cindy received her BA in Political Science from Dickinson College. Upon graduation, Cindy began her career on Capitol Hill working as a legislative aide and director. She later became a part of the public relations and lobbying team of the American Iron and Steel Institute and served as director of the office of state legislative affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Cindy was involved in economic development with the state of Maryland, and served as executive director of Leadership Washington County. As a community volunteer, Cindy participates in numerous volunteer activities serving as a member of Sunrise Rotary, and as board member of Cummer Amelia Board of Directors.