BRANDON — If a boat was your primary residence before and during Hurricane Ian making landfall in Florida – and the boat sustained hurricane damage - FEMA may be able to help. Survivors living in one of the 26 counties designated for federal assistance are encouraged to apply.

You can begin your application online at DisasterAssistance.gov, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The line is open every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Be ready to provide the physical and complete address of the dock or marina and the slip or mooring number, if the boat was not located on private property.

There are multiple Disaster Recovery Centers operating throughout the impacted area. To find a center close to you, go online to: DRC Locator or floridadisaster.org, or text DRC along with your ZIP Code to 43362.

Living on a boat is a unique situation, but you may qualify for FEMA assistance. However, if you don’t provide a slip or mooring number, it may result in your application becoming attached to another boat or boats at the same address. This will cause delays in processing your application. You also cannot use a P.O. Box as your primary address, but you can use it as a mailing address.

The designated counties are Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia.

For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian, visit floridadisaster.org/info and fema.gov/disaster/4673. Follow FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.