Where To Find Help In Tampa Bay After Hurricane Milton: County-By-County List

TAMPA, FL — In the hours since Hurricane Milton brought strong winds, record rainfall and flooding to the Tampa Bay area, many residents are starting to return home and survey any damage left in the storm's wake.

Luckily, there is help available to those affected by Milton. See the following list of general resources and available assistance by county:

Where To Find Help

GENERAL

Information is available through the State Assistance Information Line at 800-342-3557. This call center runs 24/7 and can answer any Hurricane Milton or Hurricane Helene-related questions in English, Spanish, and Creole.

Those who need help with damages can call Florida’s Crisis Cleanup hotline at 844-965-1386. Residents may also call 833-GET-HOPE for free assistance and resources such as food, household goods and debris removal.

Serving as the emergency response arm for the Hope Florida initiative, Activate Hope pulls together the private sector, nonprofits, and government resources to help Floridians get back on their feet following a natural disaster by connecting them with outside resources to provide food, household goods, home repairs, and more. Fill out this form to request help.

FEMA assistance is available to residents who experienced damages or losses due to Hurricane Helene. Financial help is available for temporary lodging, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused expenses. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA app or 1-800-621-3362.

The American Red Cross has launched an online Reunification Portal for individuals looking for loved ones.

Disaster Legal Hotline is open to assist and refer callers. The number is 833-514-2940.

Samaritan's Purse hotline offers free assistance for homeowners affected by a disaster. Volunteers may be able to assist with the removal of personal property and furniture, flood cleanup, sanitizing with shockwave treatment, chainsaw work, debris clean-up and temporary roof tarping. Call 833-747-1234.

Florida residents whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted as a direct result of Hurricane Helene can submit a Disaster Unemployment Assistance claim at FloridaJobs.org.

If you need mental health support, counselors are available to talk via the Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990. The line is open 24 hours a day. Text ‘talkwithus’ to 66746.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

The Tampa Emergency Hotline has been reactivated to answer residents' questions regarding Hurricane Milton recovery. Call 833-TPA-INFO (872-4636). Operating hours are from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Hurricane Damage Reporting Form is designed to help Hillsborough County officials connect residents with local recovery resources. Filling out the form can help county officials put them in touch with organizations that can help. Fill out the form here.

Income-eligible residents of unincorporated Hillsborough County, Plant City and Temple Terrace who have been displaced due to Hurricane Milton may be eligible to receive temporary hotel assistance. For further details and eligibility requirements, please call 813-675-3450.

Hillsborough County will be collecting storm debris from County neighborhoods most heavily affected by Hurricane Milton. Residents in the County's collection areas impacted by flooding should place debris curbside without blocking the roadway or storm drains. Learn more here.

Feeding Tampa Bay is hosting emergency feeding stations in Hillsborough and Manatee County. Follow the organization on social media to see when and where stations will be held.

MANATEE COUNTY

Residents are encouraged to complete a Self-Assessment Survey. By sharing your immediate needs — whether it’s food, water, medical assistance or other essentials — you’ll help the county respond faster and prioritize resources where they’re needed most.

Manatee County has set up two Health and Wellness Centers: one at the Rubonia Community Center and another serving the Island Cities. These facilities will provide services to residents affected by Hurricane Milton in Rubonia, Palmetto and the Island communities. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily starting Saturday.

• Rubonia Community Center, 1309 72nd St. E., Palmetto
• Island Branch Library, 5701 Marina Dr., Holmes Beach

Three Point of Distribution sites have been set up at Blackstone Park, GT Bray Park and Kingfish Boat Ramp until 8 p.m. Friday. Each has ready-to-eat meals water and tarps. The addresses are as follows:

• Blackstone Park: 2112 14th Avenue West (Palmetto)
• GT Bray Park: 5502 33rd Avenue Drive West (Bradenton)
• Kingfish Boat Ramp: 752 Manatee Avenue (Holmes Beach)

Additional Points of Distribution may be added and will be posted here and on mymanatee.org/storm.

Feeding Tampa Bay is hosting emergency feeding stations in Hillsborough and Manatee County. Follow the organization on social media to see when and where stations will be held.

PASCO COUNTY

Pasco County has opened shelters for anyone who needs to leave their home due to flooding and has nowhere else to stay. For a full list of shelters, please visit MyPasco.net or call Pasco County Customer Service at 727-847-2411.

The county is offering two options for Pasco County residents to dispose of storm-related yard debris. Drop off tree limbs or branches for free at one of Pasco’s two solid waste facilities or pile your yard waste at the curb and Pasco County will pick it up in the coming weeks. Drop-off locations can be found at:

• East Pasco Transfer Station, 9626 Handcart Road, Dade City (7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
• West Pasco Resource Recovery, 14606 Hays Road, Spring Hill (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

PINELLAS COUNTY

The County Information Center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for storm questions. Call 727-464-4333. Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at bit.ly/PinellasChat.

Cooling/comfort stations are becoming available for residents without power following Hurricane Milton. These stations will provide a place for residents to cool off and charge their phones. View more information.

Six shelters remain open in Pinellas County. For the full list of available shelters and their status, see the county's Shelter Page.

A Point of Distribution has opened at 18200 Gulf Blvd. in Redington Shores to offer free ready-to-eat meals, water and tarps to residents impacted by Hurricane Milton. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Feeding Tampa Bay is offering food pantries and food distribution events in Pinellas County for residents impacted by Hurricane Milton. Find food and resources.

If you have been displaced due to hurricanes Milton or Helene, visit pinellas.gov/HurricaneHousing for a list of resources to help you search for short-and long-term housing options.

If you have lost or found a pet, visit pinellas.gov/lost-and-found.

Care About Me, Pinellas County’s access line for mental health, substance use and addiction services, can help residents or family members of individuals in non-crisis find local services. Call or text 888-431-1998 or chat online at careaboutme.org.

POLK COUNTY

Polk County’s Emergency Management Division encourages residents to use the Citizen’s Information Line to answer Hurricane Milton-related questions. Call the Citizen’s Information Line at 863-298-7500 (locally) or toll-free at 866-661-0228.

Polk County residents with questions regarding hurricane debris are advised to call the Hurricane Milton Residential Debris Hotline at 833-843-1920. This is the only number that will be able to provide answers to hurricane-related debris questions. The hotline will be active from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Thursday, Oct. 10.

SARASOTA COUNTY

Sarasota County 311 Center has extended hours until 8 p.m. on Friday and will be available over the weekend starting at 8 a.m. to assist with questions. Whether you're looking for a loved one or need debris pickup, call 311 or 941-861-5000, or use the 311 app for quicker access.

Supply points of distribution are set up at four locations to provide water, food and tarps for those impacted by Hurricane Milton. The sites opened at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. Sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Sites are at the following locations:

• Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave., Venice
• San Pedro Catholic Church, 14380 Tamiami Trail, North Port
• Englewood Sports Complex, 1300 S. River Road, Englewood
• Glebe Park, 1000 Glebe Lane, Sarasota

Florida Power & Light is providing Outage Relief Site locations. These locations have charging stations, WiFi and FPL outage info. Currently, there are two sites in Sarasota County.

• 5359 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota
• 4381 Cattleman Rd., Sarasota