Last Updated on January 10, 2024
Hurricane Idalia relief and ways to help are at the forefront of our minds. The historic hurricane devastated parts of Cedar Key and the Big Bend region.
It brought heavy rain plus an immense amount of flooding to many other areas throughout the Florida Gulf Coast.
If you need assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, we have a collection of resources below offering financial assistance, emotional support, food & water supplies, government phone numbers, and much more.
If you are looking to donate or volunteer to support Hurricane Idalia relief efforts, we have also listed organizations that are currently accepting donations and/or volunteers.
Additionally, we suggest you reach out to people you know and places you enjoy visiting in the impacted areas to see if they have any specific needs/requests.
When businesses reopen, please make an effort to visit and support them. We are #FloridaStrong
Get Help
Visit Governor Ron DeSantis’ website for the latest updates and press releases: https://www.flgov.com/
Help with Food and Water
Hamilton County
- North Hamilton Elementary School – 1291 Florida Street, Jennings, FL 32053
- Ernest Courtoy Civic Center – 1129 4th Street Northwest, Jasper, FL 32052
Lafayette County
- Lafayette High School – 160 NE Hornet Drive, Mayo, FL 32066
Madison County
- Madison County Recreation Complex – 753 SW Anastasia Way, Madison, FL 32340
- Madison County High School – 2649 US 90, Madison, FL 32340
Suwannee County
- Suwannee County Fair – 1302 SW 11th Street, Live Oak, FL 32064
- Suwannee Riverside Elementary – 1625 Walker Avenue SW, Live Oak, FL 32064
- Branford High School – 405 North Reynolds Street, Branford, FL 32008
Tampa Bay
- The Tampa Bay area is taken care of by Feeding America. You can find locations and times for food pickup on the Feeding America website.
Taylor County
- Wal-Mart – 1900 S Jefferson St, Perry, FL 32348
- West Fraser – Perry Mill 1509 S Byron Street Parkway, Perry, FL 32348
World Central Kitchen
Chef José Andrés founded this organization in 2010 after a huge earthquake devastated Haiti. They are currently preparing meals and sending out food trucks to feed people affected by Hurricane Idalia.
To keep up with any location changes, follow World Central Kitchen on Facebook.
Learn more about this organization and ways you can help at World Central Kitchen.
Crisis Relief Resources
Disaster Distress Helpline
The Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year hotline offering counseling and support for people dealing with emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. The hotline is multilingual and confidential.
For additional resources from SAMHSA, see their informational emotional distress webpage for hurricanes and tropical storms on the SAMHSA website.
For Hurricane Idalia relief:
- Call or text 1-800-985-5990
FEMA
For the next 30 days, the Federal Emergency Management Agency expects to help with emergency services and debris removal. They will provide assistance to survivors in nine Florida counties, including Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor.
FEMA also offers individual assistance in the following Central West and North Central Florida counties: Columbia, Gilchrist, Hernando, Jefferson, Madison, and Pasco.
To apply for assistance:
- Online: Go to DisasterAssistance.gov
- Dial 800-621-FEMA (3362)
NOTE: FEMA will never ask you for money to provide disaster assistance.
Recognize fraud:
- FEMA employees will always have an official ID
- Don’t trust anyone who offers financial help & asks for money or personal info.
- Always talk with someone you trust.
American Red Cross
American Red Cross is providing disaster assistance for Hurricane Idalia survivors, including emergency shelters. No identification is needed to enter a shelter.
For assistance:
- Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767)
- Find open shelters from the Red Cross
- View flood Safety Resources
Mental Health Resources
- Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741
- Suicide Hotline – 988
- Mental Health Support Resources: https://www.pta.org/home/programs/Healthy-Lifestyles/mental-health
Teladoc – Free Appointments
People in the areas impacted by the hurricane have access to free Teladoc care. You can call 855-225-5032 to get a doctor’s appointment for medical needs or prescription refills.
DCF Food Replacement Resources
The Department of Children and Families the Department is only allowed to request a replacement for recipients who did not receive their September benefits early.
The Department will automatically replace a portion of benefits for households that received their benefits between the 15th and 28th of August.
Read more about food replacement at the DCF website.
DCF Family Resource Support Center
The Department has people to help including Hope Navigators, behavioral health partners who specialize in disaster recovery response, and public benefit eligibility specialists to help individuals and families.
| Dixie | CareerSource 25811 SE US Highway 19 Old Town, FL 32680 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Hamilton | Jasper Library 311 Hatley Street E Jasper, FL 32052 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Lafayette | Mayo Methodist Church 122 East Main Street Mayo, FL 32066 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Madison | The Bridge Church 1135 E US 90 Madison, FL 32340 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Suwannee | Live Oak Public Library 1848 Ohio Avenue South Live Oak, FL | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Taylor | Battlefront Education & Wellness 1000 South Jefferson Street Perry, FL 32340 | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available.
All work search reporting, waiting week, and Employ Florida registration requirements for Reemployment Assistance claims have been temporarily waived beginning 09/03/2023, through 10/21/2023 for Floridians impacted by Hurricane Idalia in FEMA disaster-declared counties.
Find the information sheet at Florida Commerce and submit a claim at www.floridajobs.org
Small Business Disaster Loan Assistance
The U.S. Small Business Administration provides disaster loan assistance for businesses, private nonprofits, homeowners, and renters in eligible Florida counties affected by Hurricane Idalia.
See more information on the Official SBA website.
For Hurricane Idalia Relief:
- Call: 1-800-659-2955
- Apply for loan assistance online
Legal Help
A free legal help hotline is now available for #HurricaneIdalia survivors. The hotline is available to connect survivors to free legal services in qualifying counties that can’t afford an attorney.
Survivors can call 866-550-2929 anytime & leave a message if calling after hours.
Price Increases Protections
Florida law prohibits price increases for essential commodities & services during a declared State of Emergency.
If you encounter extreme price increases on essential items or see recovery-related scams, please contact Florida’s price gouging hotline at (800) 966-7226.
Government Phone Numbers
- Florida Dept. of Emergency Management: 1-850-815-4000
- Tampa Bay: 211 Tampa Bay
- Suwannee County: 386-362-0500
- Madison County: 850-973-2793
Hurricane Idalia Relief Phone and Internet Services
- Comcast – Comcast has opened 141,000 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots in areas it serves across Florida in Hurricane Idalia’s potential path for anyone to use, including non-Xfinity customers, for free.
- Verizon – In response to the devastation left behind in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, Verizon is waiving prepaid and postpaid domestic call/text/data usage incurred from August 30 – September 13, for Florida and Georgia residents in the areas most impacted by the storm.
How to Help
If you want to help those affected by Hurricane Idalia, most of the services above are open to receiving donations and volunteers. For more information, please see their websites.
FEMA – Volunteer and Donate
If you would like to donate money or your time to volunteer agencies that are staging operations for feeding survivors and the federal workers who are helping them, go to FEMA.gov/assistance/volunteer-donate.
You may also donate to VolunteerFlorida.org/donatefdf.
American Red Cross – Volunteer and Donate
Before Hurricane Idalia made landfall, the Red Cross sent 500 trained staffers and convoys of supplies to strategic locations throughout Florida.
There are several ways to help: If you want to volunteer, go to RedCross.org/volunteertoday.
- Apply to be a Volunteer
- There is an urgent need for blood donors – find a drive near you on the Red Cross Website
- Donate online with the Red Cross
- Donate by phone by calling 1-800-HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669)
- Donate by mail by filling out a donation form and mailing it to American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037- 0839
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – Volunteer and Donate
- Apply to be a Volunteer
- Donate critical items to one of their locations
- Donate Online
- Donate by phone by calling 407-514-1039
- Donate by mail by making your check out to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and mailing it to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, 411 Mercy Drive, Orlando, FL 32805.
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) – Volunteer and Donate
This nonprofit started with a mission to help people during the 1999 Kosovo Crisis and has continued through the years trying “to bridge the gap between first response and sustainable development,” according to its website.
Currently, GEM is helping people affected by Hurricane Idalia.
If you wish to volunteer, go to GlobalEmpowermentMission.org/volunteer.
To donate money, go to GlobalEmpowermentMission.org/financials/how-to-donate.
Team Rubicon – Volunteer and Donate
This disaster relief organization was created following the 2010 Haiti earthquake and today has expanded to more than 150,000 volunteers across the United States.
You may donate by going to TeamRubiconUSA.org/give.
If you want to volunteer, go to TeamRubiconUSA.org/international.
The Salvation Army – Donate
The Salvation Army has been giving emergency services, temporary housing, food, and emotional/spiritual care to survivors of Hurricane Idalia.
To donate, go to HelpSalvationArmy.org.
Heart of Florida United Way – Donate
Heart of Florida United Way is available to connect people to resources, including supplies, food, clothing, and hygiene locations. 211 is a three-digit number people can call for information and support.
It is a free and confidential service available in Central Florida that can provide information on utility assistance, food and housing assistance, mental health, and more.
They also have disaster-related resources, including clothing, cleaning supplies, cleanup, and crisis counseling.
For assistance:
- Call: Dial 2-1-1
- Text: Send your zip code to 898-211
- Chat: Chat with an operator on their website with Chatstart.
- Donate Online
- Donate by phone by calling 407-835-0908
OneBlood – Donate
This organization provides blood to more than 250 hospitals throughout Florida. They are encouraging people not affected by the storm to consider donating blood.
While all blood types are needed, there is a particular call for O-negative and O-positive donors.
To find a Big Red Bus blood drive or a donor center near you, visit OneBlood.org.
Publix Super Markets Charities – Donate
Publix has a companywide donation program that allows shoppers to donate any amount at checkout. Donations go to benefit the American Red Cross in its Hurricane Idalia-related efforts.
For more information, go to Corporate.Publix.com.
Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) – Donate
Global response organization Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE) said it’s coordinating with local governments in affected regions to get relief supplies to those with the most urgent needs.
For more information, go to CoreResponse.org.
Project Hope – Donate
This Washington D.C.-based humanitarian aid organization was reportedly on the ground less than 24 hours after Hurricane Idalia made landfall.
They are visiting shelters and health clinics to distribute supplies and assess needs in the coming days.
To donate, go to ProjectHope.org.
Donate to Local GoFundMe Campaigns
Click the name of the following businesses in blue to be taken directly to their GoFundMe page:
- Low Key Hideaway & City of Cedar Key Relief – Low Key has received flooding and damages but continues to serve the community.
- The Prickly Palm – The Prickly Pam was flooded and lost all contents, flooring, and walls.
- Big Deck – Big Deck was flooded and needs a great deal to repair.
- 83 West – 83 West is most concerned about reopening for the sake of its employees and community but needs help to do so.
- Faraway Inn – Faraway Inn lost many of their cottages and still has more work to be done. They need help cleaning and rebuilding.
- Tidewater Tours – All funds go to rebuilding the dock that Tidewater Tours operates from.
- Firefly Cottages – Firefly Cottages was flooded by the hurricane and will need help with rebuilding.
- Steamers – Steamers lost their roof, plumbing, and some electrical and need help to reopen.
- The Island Room – The Island Room needs help to both rebuild and support its employees in the coming months.
- Duncan’s – Any money raised from the GoFundMe is to help meet the needs of their employees. They had severe damage.
- Tipsy Cow – Tipsy Cow is now reopened.
Misc. Information
Heat Safety Tips
- Be careful with heavy equipment – Be sure to wear protective gear
- Stay safe in the heat – Keep hydrated & wear light, loose-fitting clothing
- Don’t push yourself – Take lots of breaks
- Use sunscreen to protect from sunburn.
Reminders
- If #Idalia caused damage to your home or belongings, document it before you clean it up.
- Take photos before you begin to clean up.
- Make a list of damaged or lost items & gather receipts.
- Do not touch or cut power lines as they may be live.
- If you have evacuated, please only return home when local officials say it is safe.
- Check https://fl511.com/ for traffic conditions.
Support Local Businesses When They Reopen
When the cities, towns and communities are operating again, please visit them and support them. They need all of us!
We are trying to post updates on our Authentic Florida Facebook page announcing reopenings. Not everyone is on Facebook and it’s impossible for us to keep up with every reopening.
We recommend you reach out directly to any of the places you know about or who have been on your future getaway list.