DUNEDIN, Fla. — Many who dwell in Westwind Cell Dwelling Park close to Dunedin are nonetheless being hit with a vortex of stress, anguish, and nervousness virtually seven months after Hurricane Helene.
Cyndi Varney is aware of that firsthand.
“We don’t sleep effectively in any respect anymore— not since we obtained the letter,” she mentioned.
In March, she acquired a letter with penalties: a considerable injury letter from Pinellas County. Due to a FEMA rule for particular flood hazard areas, Varney and her husband, Rod, should elevate, relocate, or abandon their house except they’ll show it isn’t considerably broken.
A whole bunch extra throughout Pinellas County face the identical dilemma.
“A whole lot of these persons are aged,” mentioned Norma Scheele, who additionally lives at Westwind and was additionally dealing with a considerable injury dedication lately. “They don’t have any place else to go.”
Monday, Pinellas County offered some reduction.
The county moved the compliance deadline from June 1, 2025, to June 1, 2026, which implies householders now have greater than a 12 months to both comply, present they’re attempting to conform or work their reassessment case.
This extension permits householders to stay of their houses whereas working towards compliance.
“Nevertheless, it doesn’t allow householders to undertake enhancements past minor repairs crucial for security and habitability,” a Pinellas County spokesperson clarified. “Owners are anticipated to display progress towards compliance throughout this era.”
The county spokesperson mentioned the extension would additionally give folks extra time to doubtlessly obtain monetary reduction, which might come from the $813 million grant the county acquired from the federal authorities earlier this 12 months. The county is at present drawing up a plan to spend that cash to finest assist storm victims.
“What can we get assist with?” Rod Varney mentioned. “You understand, it’s out of pocket.”
The Varneys are skeptical that the deadline extension will finally assist them. If something, they imagine it delays the inevitable: the choice they could need to make to desert their house, which they are saying was declared considerably broken though the within didn’t flood throughout Hurricane Helene.
“That is the placement that we selected to be in and we invested in all these years,” Cyndi mentioned.
For now, the stress, anguish, and nervousness aren’t going wherever anytime quickly.
The Could 31, 2025, deadline to file for a reassessment of a considerable injury dedication has not modified.
In keeping with the county, within the occasion of a named storm this upcoming hurricane season, folks dwelling in houses with a considerable injury dedication and short-term occupancy permits should observe the identical evacuation orders as different residents.
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