FEMA: storm victims have 60 days to register

It was hot and humid Friday, and Bill Condon got a steady stream of tragic stories.

"There is a high level of satisfaction with this job," Condon said.

The satisfaction comes from helping people recover from Tropical Storm Debby. Condon is part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency community response team. He and his team spent Friday along the Anclote River, which crested just a foot below its all-time high as Tropical Storm Debby rolled through.

"We're going house to house. The first thing we do is listen to people's story. We want to hear what they have to say," he described.

For people like Kathy Walden it was simple.

"It's bad. We lost everything," she said.

Walden used to live along the river until water forced her out. She has insurance, but it's unclear how much it will cover.

"I have a contractor who is willing to work with us," Walden said. "He's working with my flood adjustor, but he wouldn't take any pictures or measurements until I got the house empty."

FEMA may be able to help cover what Walden's insurance does not.

"People that have insurance may be eligible for a small business administration disaster assistance loan, usually at interest rates below two percent," according to Renee Bafalis, a spokeswoman for FEMA.

There is a catch: anyone with property damage must register their home or business with FEMA no later than September 1st. President Obama issues a disaster declaration for Pasco County July 3rd, and it lasts just 60 days.

"If you don't get registered, then you don't get into our system, and you're not eligible for assistance," Bafalis said.

For more information call 1-800-621-3362, or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov