The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the deadline for their ongoing ‘Operation Blue Roof’ to November 14th, giving residents of affected counties extra time to apply. The program makes free tarping available for those whose homes sustained roof damage during Hurricane Milton. It was initiated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is facilitated through the Army.
Both Flagler and Volusia counties are among those eligible to apply for tarping under Operation Blue Roof. Other counties included in the program are Brevard, Citrus, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, and Sumter.
A series of standards are outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine whether residents are eligible to utilize the program. To be considered, the home must be a permanent residence, less than 50% of the roof damaged, and have standard roof shingles or a similar material that can be nailed into. Residents must be the owner of the home or a renter with legal permission to stay in the home pending further repairs. The full list of criteria is available on the project’s website.
Applicants should be aware that while representatives of Operation Blue Roof may call asking for information or a location, they will not ask for sensitive information or payment details. The program is free of charge to those residents who are serviced by it. Government employees and contractors will have documentation proving their validity when on-site regarding the services.
Those looking to find out more information or apply can do so by visiting blueroof.gov or by calling (888) 766-3258.
