Apollo Beach
Jeanie Branconi has lived along the San Juan Canal in Apollo Beach for 24 years. Leading up to Hurricane Helene, she and her brother put up tarps and used sandbags to block entrances all around their house.
"The first thing we knew, it was like six inches of water, and we turned around and it was coming over, and it filled the inside of the house with four feet of water,” she said. “I had to swim with my service dog to a neighbor's that had his built up higher."
The water still breached into her neighbor's house even though it was on higher ground.
"What I did is I laid on top of his sofa, like a cat … and I laid there 'til four in the morning, or ‘til light, anyway. And then I had to try and go back to mine," she said.
Branconi and her brother are at Apollo Beach Park, which is one of six comfort stations set up by Hillsborough County for storm victims to do their laundry, shower, and get cleaning supplies, water, and food.
"Mommy's got food for you. Come here,” she called to her small dog Chance, as she tried to share her bologna and cheese sandwich. But after a sniff, Chance turned his head.
"He hasn't been eating. He's so stressed out," she said.
Branconi is still living in her house with her dog and brother, even though mold is starting to build because she's on social security and can't afford to go anywhere else.
"The house is molded. I need housing. I'm in a lung transplant program and I can't find any place to live,” she said. “My flood insurance is through FEMA, and they said eight to 10 weeks … and that won't help at all."
In the long term, Branconi said she still wants to live in her house.
"I was raised in foster care. This is the first home I've ever had in my name that nobody could take away from me. So, it's really important to me that I have a place of my own," she said.
Ruskin
About five miles south, the county set up another comfort station at Beaudette Park, where Yaneth Pascual is doing her laundry.
"I live by the 19th, which was Zone A, so my house really floated, and I lost everything: bed, furniture, everything,” she said. “I have six-year-old too. So, yeah, he saw everything."
Pascual, her husband and son left their RV rental and are staying with her cousin.
"We don't have insurance, but I did call FEMA, and I'm just waiting. I don't know if they're gonna call me back or anything to go see the place. But, yeah, I already signed up for everything," she said.
The family is looking to move out of Ruskin.
"Maybe Sun City, Wimauma ... we're trying to move out because we don't want anything else happening," said Pascual.
“For those people who got damaged like we did, I hope they're good, they're safe, and God bless them.”
Disaster assistance
Here’s the list of comfort stations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across Hillsborough County:
• Marjorie Park Marina, 97 Columbia Drive, Tampa, FL 33606
• Desoto Park, 2617 Corrine St., Tampa, FL 33605
• Apollo Beach Park & Recreation Center, 664 Golf and Sea Blvd., Apollo Beach, FL 33572
• Ruskin Park & Recreation Center, 901 Sixth St. SE., Ruskin, FL 33570
• Sandy Perrone Park, 5120 Kelly Road, Tampa, FL 33615
• Skyway Sports Complex & Park, 3901 George Road, Tampa, FL 33634
Here's how to access state resources:
Activate Hope pulls together the private sector, nonprofits, and government resources to provide Floridians with food, household goods, home repairs, and more.
Here's how to apply for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
• Click here for English, or presione aquí para español
• Use the FEMA App
• Call 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Visit an open Disaster Recovery Center in your area if possible.
• To view an accessible video on how to apply, visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube
