Emergency management officials are assessing damage and helping residents in Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties and on the Treasure Coast after heavy rain caused severe flooding last week. Much of the water has receded in Palm Beach County, but some neighborhoods are still cleaning up. The county’s state of local emergency has been extended another week.
In Riviera Beach’s Long Pines Estates, debris from damaged homes lines the streets. Residents Jeffrey Simms and Denise Smith said they do not believe their homes were in a FEMA-designated flood zone, and Smith said most of her neighbors carry homeowners’ insurance but not flood coverage.
In Okeechobee County, crews have surveyed about half the area. Preliminary damage estimates exceed $10 million, including two destroyed homes and 59 with major damage. County officials said infrastructure damage alone passes the threshold for FEMA assistance consideration, though the figures could rise.
In Martin County, officials said 30 homes were destroyed and 40 sustained moderate damage. St. Lucie County received 273 responses to its damage survey as of Monday morning, and more than 100 roads were closed at the height of the flooding.
A Multi-Agency Resource Center opens Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Wells Recreation Center in Riviera Beach. It will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for about 14 days, with state, county and nonprofit staff on hand, including the American Red Cross and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
