Status table last updated: Oct 15, 2026 · Updated as programs open · Prepared by FL Tax Experts, St. Petersburg · General information only, not tax, legal or insurance advice
Get your papers ready: The Storm Folder
Every office asks for the same papers after a storm. Our short checklist shows what FEMA, your insurer and food aid will want, based on what happened to you.
“Help me keep track of this” sets up a free, private folder: your checklist saved, a safe place for photos and papers, and a tracker for your claims and forms. No ads, and it doesn't make you a client.
Do you have food, water and power?
Answer three quick questions. Nothing you tap here is saved or sent anywhere.
If you have a signal and a neighbor doesn't, show them this page or read them the numbers.
Find help in your county
Your location is used once to find your county and is not stored.
What to do first
- Safety. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies. Avoid downed lines and floodwater. Generators outside only.
- Water, food and shelter. Use the questions above or call 211. Find shelters at floridadisaster.org/shelters. Follow your county's boil-water notices.
- Photograph and video the damage before you clean up: each room, the roof, the waterline, damaged items, the outside of the home.
- Call your insurance company and start your claim. Write down the claim number and every person you talk to.
- Make only the repairs needed to stop more damage (tarp the roof, remove wet drywall), and keep every receipt in one folder: hotels, food, gas, tarps, chainsaw rental, lost wages.
- Watch for the federal major disaster declaration naming your county, then register with FEMA right away. As of Oct 15 the state had not yet asked for one.
Help and resources
Every link goes to an official or established source. Click or tap a phone number to call.
| Need | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Emergencies | 911 (life-threatening situations only) |
| Food, water, shelter, cleanup, crisis help | 211 · 211.org |
| Shelters | floridadisaster.org/shelters · Free Uber rides to and from state-approved shelters (up to $40 each way, 2 trips per account): add code ISAIAS26 in the Uber app before you request the ride |
| Water, food and in-person help | The state lists open water and food distribution sites and in-person help centers (Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties as of Oct 15) at floridadisaster.org/Updates |
| County emergency offices | floridadisaster.org/counties |
| Roads and traffic signals | FL511.com |
| Power outages | Open your electric company's outage map (the company named on your bill). To see all utilities in one place: PowerOutage.us (unofficial) |
| Weather and flood warnings | weather.gov |
| Free legal help (insurance, landlord, contractor, FEMA problems) | Florida Disaster Legal Aid Helpline: 833-514-2940 |
| Insurance company problems | Florida Department of Financial Services helpline: 1-877-693-5236 |
| Banks and lenders | flofr.gov/education/disaster-resources · ask your lender about payment pauses |
FEMA, food aid and loans: what's open
Most help for households depends on a federal major disaster declaration that names your county. As of Oct 15, the state had not yet requested one, though local officials expect a request soon. Two things are already open: IRS deadline relief and SNAP replacement for current SNAP households. We update this table as programs open.
| Program | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| State of emergency (27 counties) | Active | Shelters, early prescription refills, state resources. |
| Federal emergency declaration (Oct 9) | Active | Federal help to local governments only, not cash to households. The IRS deadline relief below is based on it. |
| Federal major disaster declaration | Pending | Not requested yet as of Oct 15. Unlocks FEMA aid to households, D-SNAP and penalty-free retirement withdrawals. |
| FEMA Individual Assistance | Pending | You can't apply until your county is named. Document damage now. |
| D-SNAP (disaster food assistance) | Pending | Not announced. Needs the major declaration and USDA approval. DCF announces dates by county. |
| Replacement SNAP for current recipients | Open until Oct 19 | If you already get SNAP and lost food, request a replacement in the MyACCESS portal by Monday, Oct 19. Counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington. Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jefferson and Leon must upload proof of a power outage of 4 hours or more. Details: myflfamilies.com/isaias. |
| SBA disaster loans | Pending | Not announced. Opens once SBA or FEMA declares the area. |
| IRS filing and payment relief (27 counties) | Active | Most federal filing and payment deadlines from Oct 9, 2026 to Feb 8, 2027 move to Feb 8, 2027, including 2025 returns on extension. IRS announcement (Oct 14). |
When FEMA opens: apply at DisasterAssistance.gov, in the FEMA app, or at 800-621-3362. File your insurance claim first. Have ready: Social Security number, address of the damaged home, insurance policy and claim number, bank routing and account number for direct deposit, and a phone number where you can be reached. Check status at fema.gov/disaster/declarations.
Food aid: SNAP replacement and D-SNAP information is at myflfamilies.com and myflfamilies.com/DSNAP, in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. SNAP replacement for current recipients is open until Oct 19 (see the table). D-SNAP for Isaias has not been announced as of Oct 15.
SBA loans: low-interest loans for homeowners, renters and businesses once declared, and you don't have to wait for your insurance settlement. Call 1-800-659-2955 or visit sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance. Businesses: floridadisaster.biz.
Insurance basics: the hurricane deductible is often a percentage of the home's insured value (check your policy for yours), and in Florida it generally applies once per calendar year, not once per storm. Flood damage is covered only by a separate flood policy (NFIP or private).
Taxes and cash: what storm damage can change
The number that matters is your total tax for the year, not a refund. Storm damage and disaster rules can change it, and some of them can free up cash. This section is general information about how the rules work, not tax advice. Whether any of it applies to you depends on your facts, so talk with a tax professional before you act on it.
If your home or belongings were damaged
- Keep everything: photos, the insurance claim and settlement letters, FEMA letters, receipts, and records of what you paid for the home and improvements.
- Insurance and FEMA money reduce the loss. FEMA disaster grants are generally not taxable income. If insurance pays more than your cost in the property, that can create a taxable gain, which in many cases can be postponed by rebuilding or replacing the property.
- Federally declared disasters: the tax rules let people choose to claim the loss on the prior year's return (2025) instead of 2026, which can speed up the tax benefit. The IRS has said this choice is available for Isaias in the 27 counties. If you live in one of them and your 2025 return was on extension, it is now due Feb 8, 2027 instead of Oct 15, 2026.
- State-declared disasters: beginning in 2026, the IRS says casualty losses may also include state-declared disasters. We'll post the details when the IRS explains how Florida's emergency applies.
- Rental and business property follow different rules (repairs, lost income, depreciation). Keep them separate from personal losses.
Need cash? A disaster withdrawal from a 401(k) or IRA
After a federal major disaster declaration, the rules allow eligible people to take up to $22,000 per disaster from retirement accounts. Isaias does not have a major disaster declaration yet (as of Oct 15). The IRS relief notice mentions these withdrawals, but our reading of the law is that the penalty-free version needs the major declaration, so check with us or your plan before you withdraw.
- Your main home must be in the declared area, and you must have had an economic loss (damage, displacement or lost work).
- The withdrawal window runs from the first day of the disaster period to 180 days after the declaration.
- No 10% early-withdrawal penalty. The income can be spread over three years, and the money can be repaid within three years.
- Employer plans may choose not to offer it. Ask your plan administrator first.
The tradeoffs: it is still taxable income, your retirement account shrinks, and you lose that growth. Other options people often look at first include insurance advances, an SBA loan, a loan from their plan, and payment pauses from their lender. If you'd like help with your own numbers, we can review them with you.
- Filing and payment deadline relief: for Isaias, the IRS has moved most federal deadlines falling from Oct 9, 2026 to Feb 8, 2027 to Feb 8, 2027 for people and businesses in the 27 counties. This covers 2025 returns on extension, estimated tax payments due in that window (such as the Jan 15 payment) and quarterly payroll returns. It does not cover 2025 tax payments that were due April 15, 2026, and if you are on an IRS payment plan, interest and late-payment charges still add up on installments paid late. The IRS applies the relief automatically for addresses in those counties; if you get a late notice for this period, call the number on the notice. Read the IRS announcement. Florida also extended state corporate income tax deadlines for the same counties to Feb 23, 2027 (per a Florida Department of Revenue memo).
- Lost tax records: transcripts are always free, and the IRS waives the fee for copies of prior returns for people in declared disaster areas. irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript
Questions about storm losses and your taxes? Reading this page does not make you a client. FL Tax Experts helps Florida families and property owners with casualty losses, insurance payouts, disaster retirement withdrawals, rental property damage and IRS deadline relief. Call (727) 300-1676 or email steve.v@fltaxexperts.com. Please don't email documents or Social Security numbers. We'll send you a secure upload link, or start at our checklist.
Avoid storm scams
- FEMA and the IRS never charge to apply or ask for payment by gift card or wire.
- Check a contractor's license at MyFloridaLicense.com before paying anything, and never pay in full up front.
- Read carefully before signing anything that hands your insurance claim to someone else.
- Report fraud to the Florida Attorney General: 1-866-966-7226.
Disclaimer: This is an unofficial guide that summarizes public information from FEMA, the State of Florida, Florida DCF, county governments and news reports as of the dates shown. Programs change quickly after a storm; always confirm details with the official source before acting. This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your situation, and use of this page does not create a client relationship.