English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Riverview, FL

Federal agency pledges centers will open in Pinellas and Pasco as residents seek help with emergency accommodation and damage to homes.

By

|Updated Oct. 2

When floodwaters from Old Tampa Bay reached past her knees, Disney Oceana Delgado called 911 in a panic.

The responder told her she and her two young daughters should immediately evacuate their first-floor apartment near Rocky Point in Tampa. But her car was already partially submerged.

Not knowing where else to go, Delgado gathered what dry bedding she had and led her daughters up the external stairwell to second-floor apartments. The family slept as best they could on the concrete steps.

“I woke at 5 a.m.,” said her daughter, Lorena Delgado, 10. “We don’t sleep so much.”

Delago returned Friday morning to sodden beds, clothing and some ruined kitchen appliances. The apartment is unlivable for now, and she and her daughters are staying at her brother’s home.

On Tuesday morning, a relative drove Delago and her daughters to a disaster recovery center opened Monday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Riverview. For the second consecutive day, a dozen other families, many with similar hardship stories, headed to the center waiting for their turn to speak with FEMA experts about applying for emergency assistance.

A disaster recovery center opened Pinellas on Wednesday at the Largo Public Library, 120 Central Park Drive. More than 100 people lined up for assistance Wednesday, said FEMA spokesperson Jack Pagano.

FEMA is working to open other centers in Pinellas and Pasco counties, which bore the brunt of storm surge damage. That could include mobile disaster recovery centers in areas directly impacted by Helene, Pagano said.

The federal agency is providing assistance with the cost of temporary accommodation for those whose homes are unlivable in addition to longer-term assistance for home repair or replacement. There is help for those who do not have insurance or who are underinsured.

For those in immediate need, the center can connect them with aid agencies including the American Red Cross, which is operating a shelter at the Hyde Park United Methodist Church on Platt Street in Tampa.

As of midday Tuesday, the nonprofit was sheltering about 2,400 survivors at 75 shelters between Florida and North Carolina, an area Red Cross Division Disaster Executive Denise Everhart described on a media call as Hurricane Helene’s “500-mile path of destruction.”

Related: Damage from Hurricane Helene? Here’s how to apply for FEMA aid.

Amy Jennings was one of the first to turn up at the center Monday.

Floodwater that surged from a canal that is a tributary of the Little Manatee River took over their Ruskin home.

The water kept coming. Items she had put up high to protect, such as framed family photographs and photo albums, floated around the living room. With the front door blocked by sandbags, she and her husband had to escape through sliding doors and then push through the screen of their porch.

They waded through water for 30 minutes before a pickup truck driver gave them a ride to dry land, she said.

Spend your days with Hayes

Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter

Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.

Loading...

It wasn’t just their home and possessions that were ruined. Her husband’s truck and many of the tools he uses as a carpenter are unsalvageable, she said.

Their situation reached a crisis point Friday when their landlady told them she doesn’t have flood insurance and or the means to repair the home. After about four years of renting the home, the couple was told they should remove their belongings and get their truck towed.

Sitting in the waiting area, Jennings was briefly overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness. Her children are grown and out of the state. The couple have been staying with friends but know they can’t lean on that kindness for too long.

“Everything is gone,” Jennings said. “Everything we worked for. I’ve never been in this situation before.”

FEMA officials stressed that registering for assistance is critical to starting the process of receiving assistance. That can be done at the center or online at www.disasterassistance.gov. Helene’s path has led to major disaster declarations being made in 17 Florida counties as well as 25 in North Carolina, 13 in South Carolina and 11 in Georgia.

More than 150,000 households had registered for assistance, with the agency already paying out millions, officials said Tuesday. Those numbers are expected to soar in the coming weeks and months. Pagano said Wednesday that in Florida alone FEMA has received about 71,000 applications for assistance and already paid out $3.1 million

Everyone seeking assistance at the Riverview center had their own Helene story.

Dietra Singleton has been without power in her East Tampa home since a tree fell and severed the power line between the outside maintenance box and her house. Tampa Electric told the hair salon owner that it’s her responsibility to repair it, she said. She needs help with that cost.

Rhonda Brightbill drove to Riverview from Osceola County near Orlando because her husband’s truck, which was parked close to his work on Causeway Boulevard in Tampa, was flooded up to the center console. He needs a vehicle for his Interstate 4 commute, she said.

Randy Hann, 73, said floodwater destroyed clothes, bedding, power tools and other possessions. The bottom 2 feet of drywall in his home along the Alafia River had to be replaced after Hurricane Idalia last year. This time, the water was twice as high, he said.

A survivor of a bone marrow transplant operation 17 years ago, he said he’s learned to stay positive.

“I’m blessed,” he said. “I just want something to get started again. I’ve had to buy so many supplies.”

Times staff writer Juan-Carlos Chavez contributed to this report.

NEED HELP?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened disaster recovery centers at a Hillsborough Community College campus in Riverview and the Largo Public Library in Pinellas County. The centers are open to individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits seeking assistance or needing help in completing applications after being impacted by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Debby. FEMA representatives are onsite to assist.

Where: 6437 Watson Rd., Riverview, 33578, and 120 Central Park Drive, Largo, 33771.

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 6.

RIVERVIEW, Fla. — The third annual Que For A Cure fundraiser is set to take place in Riverview in hopes of educating the community about epilepsy and empower those living with the disease.

What You Need To Know

Over a grill, Roni-Kay Elser and her husband, Jim, admire a fresh rack of ribs.

“So you want to take one good bite of a rib. You want to have that one bite through,” said Elser, after biting into the rib with a smile. “That is a good bite.”

The pair cooks competitively.

“I have been doing this with him for four years, and he is on 15 plus,” said Elser.

But the competition closest to their heart is the one they host.

“This is a sauce that we made and all proceeds go to our charity,” said Elser.

The Que For A Cure barbeque competition raises awareness and money for those with epilepsy.

Elser knows a lot about epilepsy, including recurring seizures.

“Growing up with epilepsy, I would average eight to 10 a day my entire life,” said Elser. “I was taking over 5,000 milligrams of medication every day. The most I had in one day was 108 that were documented.”

Diagnosed from birth, Elser suffered for years until she underwent brain surgery in 2008.

The procedure is called a temporal lobectomy, and since she had it done, she has been seizure and medication free.

Now, she focuses on helping others struggling with the disease.

“I wanted to be the person that people could go to. You know, I myself, growing up, I didn’t have a lot of that. You know, there weren’t a lot of people that understood what you were going through it,” said Elser. “You can go to the doctor’s office, you can go to the epilepsy services and the Epilepsy Foundation. But they really don’t understand how you are feeling when you go through it.”

She started the Seize the Moment Foundation, and three years ago began the barbeque competition.

“All the money that we raised to that goes back to help the doctors at Tampa General Hospital and USF Physicians Group. So it furthers the research and development and studies for the doctors and physicians. And it also helps the patients with their education and/or doctor’s appointments and everything,” said Elser.

She said it is the largest barbeque competition in the state, and is growing by the year.

Que For A Cure takes place Friday, Aug. 23 (3 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and Saturday, Aug. 24 (10 a.m. to 10 p.m.). It takes place at Showman’s Club, 6915 Riverview Dr., Riverview, FL 33578

The two-day event is for the whole family to enjoy, with many activities for kids to participate in, too.

FLORIDA — If the weather cooperates in Florida, 2024 could be a stellar year to take in the annual Perseid meteor shower, which peaks Sunday through Tuesday, Aug. 11-13.

The National Weather Service forecast for the peak dates calls for nightly showers and thunderstorms in Florida.

Under dark skies, it’s possible to see between 50 and 100 meteors an hour, with a good possibility for fireballs. The moon will be about 50 percent full, but will set before midnight, just in time for prime meteor shower viewing. As with most shooting star shows, the best time to see the Perseids is during the hours between midnight and dawn.

Surprises are always possible, but meteor experts don’t expect 2024 to be an outburst year. Skywatchers who are into serious advance planning should mark the August peak for the 2028 Perseids on their calendars. The shower four years from now could be especially intense due to a meteor storm that could produce 1,000 or more meteors an hour.

Until then, sit back and enjoy the last of the summer meteor showers. When it comes to brilliance, only the Geminid meteor shower in December rivals the Perseids. Both are known for swift, bright meteors that frequently leave behind long “wakes” of light and color, according to NASA.

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both are also known for fireballs, larger explosions of light and color that are brighter than typical meteors and whose “tails” last longer than typical meteor streaks. That’s because, NASA explains, fireballs come from larger particles of cometary material.

The big difference between the shooting star shows from the skywatcher’s vantage point is the difference between summer and winter. Regardless of the meteor shower, stargazers are rewarded by their patience, something many have in more abundance on warm summer versus cold winter nights.

If you can, find a dark sky location to watch for meteors. Most meteors will fly during predawn hours, though it’s possible to see them any time after 10 p.m. during the peak, according to NASA.

Also, the American Meteor Society notes, “the more stars you see, the more meteors will also be visible.”

The shooting stars may not all be from the Perseids. This summertime favorite intersects with the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, which continues through Aug. 21. The Perseids continue through Sept. 1.

Also, meteors randomly fly in the sky but don’t always seem to originate from a particular star or constellation. The Perseids, no matter where they’re seen in the sky, trace back to the radiant point of the constellation of Perseus. The meteor shower is a tiny piece of the comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 135 years, according to NASA.

FLORIDA — Show Dad some TLC this Sunday, June 16, by taking him out to eat for Father's Day.

Patch has compiled a Dad's Day dining guide to Florida restaurants — with entries for all tastes and budgets.

And to all fathers, grandpas, stepdads, foster dads and role-model uncles, too, Happy Father's Day from Patch!

This year, plenty of restaurants in Florida are offering families a bit of incentive to stop by and celebrate Dad. Here are some of the specials we found; be sure to check that your location is offering the deal.

RetailMeNot found these specials:

Find out what's happening in Bradentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The folks at Offers.com also found some deals:

Benihana: Buy $50 in gift cards and get a $10 promotional card free or buy $200 in gift cards and snag $60 in promotional gift cards. Offer available until June 16. Promotional cards are good from June 17 through July 28.

Buffalo Wild Wings: Buy $40 in gift cards and receive a $10 eBonus card. The eBonus cards are valid for use through June 30.

Fogo de Chão: Get a $25 bonus e-Card when you purchase an online gift card for $125. Gift cards with bonuses can be purchased until June 16, and the bonus e-Cards can be redeemed between June 17 and Aug. 25.

Macaroni Grill: Treat Dad to lasagna bolognese, Mom’s ricotta meatballs + spaghetti or whatever his favorite Italian meal is. The restaurant will be open, and it’s taking reservations now.

McCormick and Schmick’s: Purchase a gift card for $100 and receive a $20 reward card. Gift cards must be purchased online before June 15. If you want to take him out for the big day, you can treat him to their Holiday Prix-Fixe 3-course menu served all day.

Morton’s The Steakhouse: From now until June 15, for every $250 in gift cards you purchase, you’ll receive a $50 reward card. Reward cards are redeemable from July 1 until Sept. 30.

Olive Garden: Enjoy a Family Bundle, featuring one large pan of classic lasagna, jumbo house salad and breadsticks, starting at $66.99. Or order a family-size pan of fettuccine alfredo or chicken parmigiana, starting at $50.99. You can order online and pick up your meal curbside.

Outback Steakhouse: With entrées starting at $16.99, Dad will have plenty of options to choose from for his Father’s Day meal. Or, buy $50 in gift cards and get a $10 bonus card. Bonus card is valid from June 24 to Aug. 25.

Red Lobster: Until July 1 get a $50 gift card and receive two $10 off bonus coupons. The bonus coupon can be used in the restaurant for to-go or delivery orders of $40 or more.

Red Robin: Until June 16, buy $50 on a gift card and receive a $10 bonus bucks.

Texas Roadhouse: Until June 17 for every $50 gift card you gift to your Dad, you can receive a $10 bonus card.