Seminole County emergency management reports $30M in residential damage, EOC keeps recovery operations running

Alan Harris, Seminole County’s director of emergency management, told the Board of County Commissioners the county remains in recovery mode after Hurricane Milton.

“We received about $30,000,000 worth of residential damage during Hurricane Milton,” Harris said, and he reported that county teams staffed shelters and support operations that handled roughly 895 shelter staff shifts and aided thousands of residents. Harris said FEMA pop-up registration sites in the county have processed more than 16,000 applications and solid-waste crews have collected about 15,000 cubic yards of debris. He also noted the county has enrolled 20 applicants in the Army Corps blue-roof tarp program for damaged roofs.

Harris said the National Weather Service confirmed crests along the St. Johns River and that water levels should recede slowly over weeks barring additional heavy rain. He urged continued caution and coordination with municipalities and non‑profit partners for distribution and recovery services. The board also acknowledged a recent accreditation milestone: Harris said emergency management earned a perfect site-review score, making Seminole one of two counties with no findings on the accreditation review.

The briefing prompted several operational questions from commissioners about ongoing sheltering, sandbag distribution and debris staging. The board and county manager thanked first responders and county staff for their response and directed staff to continue coordination with FEMA and local municipalities as cleanup and recovery work proceeds.

The briefing took place in the morning portion of the Oct. 22 meeting; no vote was required.