By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Evidence of the long road to recovery after two historic hurricanes less than two weeks apart came in the long line of vehicles inching toward relief workers at the Walmart Supercenter in Gibsonton on Monday.
Working with members of the National Guard, Hillsborough County employees in the store’s parking lot helped load into trunks boxed ice, boxed water, tarps to protect damaged homes and U.S. Military Surplus Meal Ready-to-Eat (MRE) packages.
The so-called “point of distribution” site was one of four POD’s Hillsborough County officials had broadcast this week, including sites at Hillsborough Community College’s Brandon campus, Citrus Park Town Centre Mall and the former Kmart parking lot in Ruskin, at 431 19th Ave. NE.
Like the others, the Gibsonton POD, at 9205 Gibsonton Drive, was to remain open until supplies ran out.
At the site, aid seekers were handed a sheet of paper, written in both English and Spanish, that detailed the many ways recovery resources can be accessed.
Noted was the number for Hillsborough County’s Storm Information and Helpline (833-427-8676) and the online address for HCFL.gov/StormRecovery. There, visitors can report damages, find volunteer and donation opportunities, access additional partner resources and learn more about cleanup resources and essential resources for immediate needs, including temporary housing.
The handout notes as well that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) helpline is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The number is 800-621-3362. The online address is DisasterAssistance.gov/. Through the site, residents can apply for FEMA disaster assistance and a guide to additional recovery resources. One such resource, for business losses, including property damages and economic losses, is the MySBA Loan Portal at lending.sba.gov/, run by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Indeed, the demand for assistance is far-reaching and formidable, as evidenced by the concerns of drivers who gave their reasons for visiting the POD site in Gibsonton.
County workers, from left, Jachrissia Williams, Jonathan Maki, Daniel MacWhorter and Chuck Saunders, are on duty at the POD in Gibsonton.
“We’re still without electricity and water,” one Gibsonton resident said.
One man, a Riverview resident, said he, too, had no electricity. “There’s just a lot of obstacles,” he added. “We still have downed power lines in our neighborhood.”
“No power, downed trees, but we’re doing good,” said another Gibsonton resident. “We just need food, and this [POD] is a blessing.”
A benefit as well, run in conjunction also with members of the National Guard, is the comfort station for county residents at the Progress Village Senior Center in Tampa, at 8701 Progress Blvd., which was set to operate 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.
The comfort station offers showers, restrooms, cooling tent, laundry washers and dryers, and hot food or boxed meals at lunch and dinner time. For transportation to and from the comfort station, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, call 833-427-8676.
No identification is required for POD or comfort station assistance.
Moving boxed ice at the Hillsborough County Points of Distribution (POD) site in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter at 9205 Gibsonton Drive
In a further update, issued Oct. 13, county officials said they had established a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) for individuals impacted by hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby, which struck the Big Bend area as a Category 1 storm Aug. 4. Staffed with federal, state, regional and nonprofit personnel, the MARC is at the Town ‘N Country Regional Public Library, at 7606 Paula Drive No. 120, Tampa.
MARC is for individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits seeking assistance or needing help to complete aid applications in the wake of storm damages. Open through Friday, Oct. 18, hours of operation are 9:30 to a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
In other support news, Hillsborough County school officials reported students, neighbors and other groups have been visiting local schools to help clean up storm debris, as was the case at Riverview High earlier this week.
Schools were to remain closed at least through Tuesday, Oct. 15, which would mark the 10th day of school closures due to hurricanes this school year. Schools closed Sept. 25 through Sept. 27 for Hurricane Helene. The Category 4 storm made landfall near Perry, in the Big Bend area, at 11:25 p.m., Sept. 26.
Schools closed again, Oct. 7-11, for Hurricane Milton, which as a Category 3 storm made landfall in Siesta Key on Oct. 5. For that storm as well, schools remained closed Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 14 and 15, with the likelihood additional days would be needed as well.
According to school district spokesperson Debra Bellanti, more than 100 schools were without power as of Monday morning, more than a dozen schools still had standing water, food deliveries for breakfast and lunch had been delayed and many roads had hazards or traffic lights that were not yet working.
Moreover, teachers, administrators and “a lot of our staff were affected by the hurricanes as well,” Bellanti said in an interview, “and we have to have people to drive buses, serve lunches and clean classrooms.”
Linda Chion Kenney photos
Hillsborough County employees Matt Stewart, left, an John Beavers are working at the points of distribution (POD) site in Gibsonton.
Because of the three days lost for Hurricane Helene, students were scheduled to attend school Oct. 14, which otherwise would have been time off for Columbus Day. Also, students are to attend school Jan. 6, which would have been the last day of winter break. And all Monday early release days through the end of the semester have reverted to regular hours.
No decision as of early Tuesday morning had been made concerning makeup days for Hurricane Milton, although hurricane makeup days before the start of the school year had been designated for the week-long Thanksgiving Day holiday. If used, that would mean students would be off only for Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 28.
Before making any such decision, school officials were awaiting guidance from state education officials concerning the unprecedented loss of school time due to the one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton.