My home was damaged in Hurricane Milton. I was shocked at how fast FEMA sent me $9,200 after I applied.

• Rick Shiver said Hurricane Milton damaged nan awning and ductwork of his Port Orange, Florida, home.
• FEMA transferred him a full of $9,166 for repairs 8 days aft he applied for aid, Shiver said.
• He feels fortunate he sewage thief truthful accelerated and plans to support surviving successful nan area, dissimilar 1 of his neighbors.

This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Rick Shiver, a 72-year-old retired firefighter successful Port Orange, portion of nan Daytona Beach metropolitan area connected Florida's Atlantic Coast. The pursuing speech has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

I unrecorded successful Port Orange, Florida. I'm primitively from St. Augustine and moved present 5 years ago. I was getting fresh to commencement chemo, and I wanted to person a spot wherever I didn't person to do yard work.

It's a two-bedroom, two-bathroom manufactured home, and I managed to get it for $20,500. The erstwhile proprietor had passed away.

This is nan first clip I've ever evacuated. I was a firefighter successful Daytona Beach for 25 years, and we were ne'er allowed to because we ever had to activity during nan storms. But this time, it benignant of frightened me. So I went to a small municipality called DeLand, conscionable westbound of here, and stayed pinch my girl for a mates of days.

A batch of nan Port Orange area was underwater. There will beryllium houses that will beryllium demolished.

I couldn't moreover get into my location for 3 days because nan h2o was truthful high. When I yet could, I saw twisted metallic from nan awning. It utilized to instrumentality retired successful nan beforehand of nan house. It was wholly gone, conscionable a fewer upright posts still standing.

Fortunately, my location sits astatine nan highest spot successful nan neighborhood, truthful my h2o harm was minimal, but I had a batch of upwind damage. My gutters were ripped out.

I had ne'er applied for FEMA assistance before. So I had nary hint what to expect.

I was shocked that I sewage money from FEMA truthful fast

I didn't person energy initially. Even erstwhile I did, from my generator, nan Wi-Fi wasn't working. The time it came backmost on, I revenge online pinch FEMA for money to repair nan harm and wrote them a description. The answers were beautiful cut-and-dried. They assigned maine a lawsuit number.

I submitted nan exertion connected Monday, October 14. On October 21, nan inspector came by. He was present for astir 15 minutes. The ductwork for nan AC has to beryllium wholly taken retired and replaced. The awning has to beryllium rebuilt and each that metallic replaced.

He took immoderate pictures, looked everything over, and nan adjacent time I had money successful nan bank. That was 8 days aft I filed.

Altogether, I was fixed $9,166.

I had nary hint really agelong it would return to get nan money, but I was expecting it to beryllium a period aliases 2 earlier I sewage thing back.

Have you knowledgeable harm from hurricanes aliases different disasters and applied for thief from FEMA? We'd emotion to perceive astir it. Please email newsman Dan Latu astatine dlatu@businessinsider.com.

The quickness helped — nan aerial ducts will beryllium moldy successful location soon if I don't get them fixed. And I'm not nan slightest spot willing successful breathing successful mold for nan remainder of my life.

I don't cognize if nan $9,166 will screen everything, but I tin show you it's going to help. I was really thankful for what I got. I've ne'er gotten thing from nan government, truthful this was nice.

If I don't person capable to do each nan repairs that request to beryllium done, past I'll conscionable salary myself. But that's fine, I'm happy to person immoderate thief astatine all.

The government's done a awesome job. I'm a registered Democrat, and I deliberation nan accusation being dispersed from a erstwhile president is each BS, because FEMA useful and it useful well.

People mightiness commencement to time off Florida, but I want to beryllium adjacent my grandkids

We've been fortunate. Over nan years, we've had a bunch of hurricanes and missed immoderate bad ones. With really aggravated this flooding was, it's fortunate that we haven't had much deaths.

It's been a unsmooth month. I judge group will beryllium leaving this area.

One neighbour came by aft nan storm. He could perceive that I had a generator and knocked connected my doorway asking if he could complaint his phone. I fto him in. When he was finished, he said they're moving backmost up to Pennsylvania. He said they can't return it anymore. He meant it.

I initially thought I mightiness request to move. I'm 72 and can't support doing this each mates of years. But my children unrecorded here, I get to spot my grandchildren. I'm not going to move distant from them.