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The 2024 hurricane season is drawing to a close, but many families in Florida continue to face challenges as they work to rebuild their lives. Displaced by storms and lacking insurance, these families often rely on private and charitable resources for temporary housing and reconstruction efforts.
Gabe Tischler, an emergency management specialist for Catholic Charities of Florida Inc., described the difficulties faced by one woman and her two children. They were initially displaced from Dixie County during Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and subsequently affected by three other hurricanes while staying in temporary hotel-based housing in Tampa.
"This poor woman has been through hell," Tischler said. "We were working through a grant from the Red Cross and the state of Florida to house Idalia survivors last year — we moved her to another hotel when Hurricane Helene came."
The family had to evacuate multiple times due to flooding from subsequent hurricanes. Eventually, they found stability for a few weeks with assistance from Catholic Charities agencies in Florida, which are seeking long-term housing solutions for them.
Tischler also mentioned another family assisted by Catholic Charities of St. Petersburg. This family temporarily split up after Hurricane Helene but is now being resettled through a charitable program associated with Airbnb until their home can be rebuilt.
"It’s really complicated when people have no place to go," Tischler explained. "Even when they have family they can go stay with for a while it is a strain on the family."
Airbnb pays rental owners their standard rate while nonprofits like Catholic Charities manage housing arrangements for storm survivors who lost homes due to hurricanes or floods.
Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest storms ever in the Gulf of Mexico, made landfall near Siesta Key as a Category 3 hurricane on October 9, following closely behind Hurricane Helene's landfall on September 26 near Perry, Florida.
Catholic Charities USA has provided logistical support and services such as case management and sanitation to help alleviate hurricane impacts in affected areas. Other nonprofits have also contributed material and financial support.
For immediate needs, New Port Richey serves as a distribution point for emergency supplies, including those provided by Catholic Charities USA. Peter Routsis-Arroyo, CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, noted that their Mobile Response Center offers various supplies and services like laundry facilities.
"Our staff member Tony Magliano has been in charge of the laundry trailer for the past two weeks," Routsis-Arroyo stated. "He will now follow the trailer to the new site in Crystal River."
Tom Tracy reports for OSV News from Florida.
