Hurricane Isaias: Emergency Resources & Disaster Response
United Way of West Florida is working alongside local agencies to help residents across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties navigate recovery.
Need Help? Call 211
Our 211 Helpline operates 24/7 to connect you directly with critical local resources and emergency support.
- Call: Dial 211 from any phone
- Text: Text your ZIP code to 898211
- Online: Visit 211nwfl.org
Note: Due to a high influx of calls following the storm, call wait times may be longer than usual. If given the option to leave a message, please do so, and a team member will return your call as soon as possible.
211 specialists can connect you with:
- Open emergency shelter locations and transportation assistance
- Emergency food, clean drinking water, and supply distribution
- Post-storm disaster relief, utility support, and housing assistance
- Local community partners and funded agencies providing aid
Official County Emergency Management Updates
For updates, monitor official county channels:
Escambia County Emergency Management
- Website: myescambia.com/beready
- Updates: @EscambiaBeReady
Santa Rosa County Emergency Management
- Website: santarosa.fl.gov/emergency
- Updates: @SantaRosaEmergencyManagement
Hurricane Isaias Recovery & Regional Resource Guide
Updated as of Monday, October 19 | Serving Escambia & Santa Rosa counties
Recovery and restoration efforts are in full swing across Northwest Florida following Hurricane Isaias. Local emergency management teams, utility crews, and public safety personnel continue working around the clock to clear debris, restore power, and assist impacted residents.
If you or someone you know needs immediate assistance with basic needs, shelter, or community recovery resources, contact our 211 Northwest Florida Helpline by dialing 211 (available 24/7, free, and confidential).
Reporting Damage & Debris Cleanup Assistance
To help local emergency management assess overall community impact for state and federal relief, all residents are urged to report property damage promptly. For physical cleanup assistance, voluntary agencies are standing by to help.
- Debris Cleanup Hotline (Crisis Cleanup): Residents needing help with fallen tree removal, roof tarping, debris cleanup, or mucking out flooded homes can call Crisis Cleanup at 1-800-451-1954 to log a request for volunteer team assistance.
- Escambia County Property Damage: Report home or structural damage through the Escambia County Citizen Damage Report tool at MyEscambia.com.
- Santa Rosa County Property Damage: Report property damage through the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser portal at srcpa.gov/search by selecting the "Report Damage" button on your parcel page.
- Unmet Needs & Relief Assistance: Call 211 to report any ongoing, unmet disaster needs so local case managers and relief teams can connect you with resources.
Escambia County will begin curbside collection of storm-generated debris from Hurricane Isaias later this week, with a target start date of Wednesday, October 14.
Placement Instructions
- Eligible Items: Collection is strictly for materials generated by Hurricane Isaias. Household garbage should not be mixed with storm debris.
- Location: Place storm debris on the public right-of-way (the area extending from your street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole, or easement). Only debris placed on the public right-of-way is eligible for pickup.
- Preparation: Leave debris loose. Do not bag debris.
- Restrictions: Residential properties only (no commercial debris). Do not stack debris under low-hanging power or utility lines.
How to Separate Your Debris
Residents must sort debris into distinct piles at the curb:
- Vegetative Debris: Whole trees, tree stumps, branches, trunks, and other leafy material.
- Construction and Demolition Debris: Damaged building components, including lumber, wood, wallboard, glass, metal, roofing materials, tile, furnishings, and fixtures.
Required Clearances
To ensure collection equipment can safely access piles, do not place debris within 4 feet of:
- Mailboxes
- Water meters
- Fire hydrants
- Any other above-ground utility infrastructure
Note: Collection will not begin in all areas of the county simultaneously. Crews will make multiple passes through neighborhoods across the county over the coming weeks.
County Updates & Local Guidelines
Escambia County
- Citizen Information Line: For non-emergency county updates, call 850-471-6600 or the Public Safety main line at 850-471-6400.
- Road Closures & Power Lines: Check real-time road conditions at MyEscambia.com/roads or FL511.com. Report downed power lines directly to Florida Power & Light (FPL) at 1-800-4-OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). Please note, if you have already reported a downed power line, there is no need to report it again. Please call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
Santa Rosa County
- County Information Line: Call the Santa Rosa Citizen Information Line at 850-983-4636 for local operational updates and shelter information.
- Safety & Traffic: Treat all dark or flashing traffic signals as four-way stops. Avoid non-essential travel to allow public works crews room to clear downed trees and utility hazards.
FEMA and D-SNAP After a Disaster: What Northwest Florida Residents Should Know
Federal disaster assistance does not begin automatically after a storm. Here are details about how programs are activated and where to find reliable updates.
Know What Is Currently Available
A common rumor after a disaster is that FEMA Individual Assistance and D-SNAP are already active locally.
The Facts:
As of Oct. 19, FEMA Individual Assistance and D-SNAP are NOT active in our region. A request for Individual Assistance is pending, and the President must sign a Major Disaster Declaration authorizing the program before household applications can open.
Where the FEMA Process Stands
The state has declared an emergency, and the President has approved the Governor’s emergency declaration. FEMA teams are now assessing damage across the area.
Damage must be documented: FEMA reviews reported losses to determine whether the area meets the required monetary damage threshold for Individual Assistance. If residents or counties do not submit complete damage information—or total documented losses do not reach the threshold—FEMA cannot recommend Individual Assistance.
Reaching the threshold is not final approval: Meeting the required damage level allows the process to move forward, but it does not automatically activate household assistance.
A second federal approval is required: The President must sign a Major Disaster Declaration authorizing Individual Assistance before residents can apply.
Individual Assistance Request Is Pending
An application for FEMA Individual Assistance has been submitted for the area. The community is waiting for the President to sign a Major Disaster Declaration authorizing Individual Assistance. Until that happens, household applications cannot open.
How D-SNAP Becomes Available – NOT currently available
Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) provides short-term food assistance to eligible households following a disaster, including families that do not usually receive regular SNAP benefits. Qualifying losses include property damage, lost income, or food spoilage caused by extended power outages.
Before D-SNAP can open:
The President must approve FEMA Individual Assistance for the county. The state of Florida must then request and receive approval from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. The Florida Department of Children and Families must then establish local program operations.
Because Individual Assistance has not yet been authorized, D-SNAP is not currently active. Regular SNAP benefits continue as scheduled, but disaster-specific food assistance is not available yet.
How FEMA Aid and SNAP/D-SNAP Work Together
A state emergency declaration and the current FEMA assessment do not automatically activate regular SNAP or D-SNAP. Presidential approval of FEMA Individual Assistance is a required step before Florida can seek authorization to operate D-SNAP.
Separate Programs: FEMA Individual Assistance and SNAP are run by entirely different government agencies (FEMA vs. the USDA and the Florida Department of Children and Families).
Unlocking D-SNAP: If FEMA approves Individual Assistance for a county, the state can request authorization from the USDA to operate D-SNAP.
Separate Application Required
Enrollment is never automatic. Even if D-SNAP opens in your county following a FEMA declaration, you must complete a separate application and meet specific disaster-related criteria (such as income loss, disaster expenses, or property damage) to qualify.
Get Updates from Official Sources
Program statuses change quickly. Always verify information through official channels before applying or sharing posts online:
FEMA: Track approved declarations at fema.gov/disaster or through the FEMA mobile app.
Florida Division of Emergency Management: Access statewide updates at floridadisaster.org.
Florida Department of Children and Families: Monitor D-SNAP announcements and pre-registration details at myflfamilies.com.
County Emergency Management: Check Escambia County updates at myescambia.com/beready or Santa Rosa County updates at santarosa.fl.gov/emergency.
211 Northwest Florida: Visit 211nwfl.org or follow @211nwfl on social media.
How Residents Can Help
Residents can help establish the full extent of community losses by reporting damage to their county. Complete local reporting supports the assessment used to determine whether the required damage threshold has been met.
Document all damage: Take clear photos and videos of structural damage, ruined personal items, and spoiled food.
Save receipts: Keep records for temporary lodging, emergency repairs, cleanup supplies, tree removal, and related expenses.
Report damage to your county: Submit property damage through your county emergency management reporting portal. Even if you have insurance, your local report helps document the community-wide impact considered during the FEMA assessment.
Contact your insurer: File claims promptly with your homeowners, flood, or renters insurance provider. Federal disaster assistance cannot duplicate coverage provided by private insurance.
Need Local Help Today
Immediate assistance for food, temporary shelter, utility support, and crisis resources is available right now, even while federal declarations are pending.
Dial 211 or text your ZIP code to 898211 to connect with 211 Northwest Florida. Specialists are available 24/7 to link residents with verified local resources and relief efforts.
United is the way we recover.