“I Got You—Hold On”: Finding Help After Back-to-Back Florida Disasters

By the time Hurricane Helene tore the roof off her home in Lee, Florida, Kelsea Williamson had already endured more than most people could even imagine.

Still recovering from Hurricane Idalia’s destruction from the year before and trying to rebuild life with her three children, she had just finished constructing a tiny home on the 20 acres of land she inherited from her grandfather—land she had painstakingly cleared by hand.

“We were happy with it. We really liked it,” she said.

In a single year, three hurricanes—Idalia, Debbie, and Helene—would test Kelsea’s resilience repeatedly. But it was also during this time that she connected with SBP to help her access the support she needed to rebuild.

“I was just trying to get help from somebody, because at that point, we were basically homeless,” she said.

Idalia struck Florida’s Big Bend region on August 30, 2023. Kelsea and her family had evacuated to her father’s house in Georgia. What they came back to was devastating.

“I couldn’t even see my travel trailer,” Kelsea said. “There were trees everywhere. One tree, it looked like it just missed the trailer—but it didn’t.” Heavy limbs had punched through the roof, leaving several holes. 

The insurance company declared the trailer a total loss, but Kelsea begged them to allow repairs instead. She fought to keep her home for nearly a year, pushing back through endless phone calls and paperwork. Eventually, worn down by the back-and-forth, she had no choice but to accept the payout. While the insurance company covered most of the lien, Kelsea still owed thousands of dollars. And she no longer had a home.

Getting a response from FEMA was a challenge. “I called them for a year straight—three to four times a week, sometimes on hold for hours,” she said. 

Finally, she got an honest answer from a FEMA representative: The agency considered her case closed because of the insurance payout, even though Kelsea never received those funds directly.

Kelsea and her dad, who has worked in construction his whole life, had started building a tiny home on the property so she would have a roof over her head. 

Unfortunately, even as they were building, new storms were ahead.

In August 2024, Hurricane Debbie hit, a Category 1, light compared to what was coming, but still destructive enough that water seeped inside the structure. Seven weeks later, in late September, Hurricane Helene hit, a Category 4 with 140-mile-per-hour winds at landfall.

“We were actually in the house during Helene,” Kelsea said. “One corner of the roof started coming off, and water got in. A lot.”

From denial to $40,835: “It was the best news”

Kelsea sought help from other organizations, and that’s when she was referred to SBP.

SBP’s Disaster Assistance Program helps affected homeowners navigate FEMA’s complex application and appeal process, ensuring they secure the maximum amount of funding they’re eligible for. These funds help meet immediate and long-term recovery needs—such as repairing a roof, replacing essential belongings, or, in Kelsea’s case, finding a safe and stable place to live.

Everything started to shift when she connected with SBP in October 2024. SBP Client Services Coordinator Denise Simmons helped Kelsea appeal her initial FEMA decision.

“I told her my kids and I didn’t have a place to live in,” Kelsea said. “Our home was taken, and I didn’t get anything for it—just debt.”

With SBP’s support, Kelsea submitted a FEMA appeal in November 2024. A few weeks later, in early December, she got the news: FEMA had approved her appeal and awarded her $40,835 in assistance.

“I screamed,” she said. “I was scared to open the letter—I thought it would be another denial. But it was the best news.”

For the first time in a long while, things were looking up.

Hurricanes Debbie and Helene: Paying it Forward

In June 2025, SBP supported Kelsea with submitting another FEMA appeal—this time for the damage to her home caused by Hurricane Helene. At the end of July, Kelsea received word that FEMA had approved her appeal for assistance with home repairs and personal property.

She and her children remain in the tiny home, doing their best to make it livable. “We’re able to stay here, which I’m grateful for,” she said. “But there’s still no insulation in the roof. One of the living room walls is open. We’re doing what we can.”

After SBP helped Kelsea successfully appeal her first FEMA decision, she wanted to show her gratitude.

“I asked Denise at SBP if I could send a card or something—just to say thank you,” she said. “But she told me no. She said, ‘If you want to do something, tell someone about us. Especially the older residents, people who can’t get online.’”

Not long after, Kelsea ran into an elderly man she knew from church. He had been living in a motel since Hurricane Helene, still waiting for FEMA help. “I said, ‘I got you—hold on,’” she recalled.

She passed along SBP’s contact info. A month later, Kelsea checked in to see how things had gone. “He said, ‘Yes, they helped me.’ He thanked me over and over.”

If you are a Florida or North Carolina homeowner whose application for FEMA assistance after Helene or Milton was denied—or under-awarded—and if you occupied the home at the time of the disasters, contact the SBP Disaster Assistance team at [email protected] for free, one-on-one help with submitting a FEMA appeal.

Special thanks to our corporate partners — including Target — whose support makes the Disaster Assistance Program possible.