APOLLO BEACH, Fla — For Anne Hasler and other neighbors in the Caribbean Islands, life is pretty quiet and peaceful. Well, until Hurricanes Helene and Milton came along and turned their world upside down.

Hasler said Milton caused wind damage and Helene caused major water damage.

“Water came in,” she said. “Like above my knee.”

As you can imagine, her stress level is through the roof. But she said it’s not just because of the storms or the damage.

“FEMA caused me more stress than the two storms combined.”

She claims that since Helene, she has spent hours on the phone trying to get information from FEMA and an inspector to see the damage. She said it was a nightmare; however, many of her neighbors have already seen surveyors for both hurricanes.

“When you call them, they say they have no control,” she said. “We didn’t get an inspector for Milton until November 1st and filed on October 12th. I didn’t get an inspector for Helene until November 3rd. and I filed on the 29th, so it’s almost six weeks.”

Two surveyors eventually returned to her, and both met with her Tuesday afternoon to examine the damage caused by Helene and Milton.

“I can finally breathe,” she said. “This will be fine.”

I contacted FEMA to find out what caused the holdup. We are still waiting to hear back.

This hurricane season has been busy for Florida. According to FEMA’s website, it has approved more than 730,000 applications for assistance in Florida due to Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. FEMA said it has also awarded $2.1 billion to help Floridians in their recovery efforts.

After both inspectors left, Hasler, smiling from ear to ear, said she was happy the part was over.

According to FEMA, it could take up to 10 days for them to get back to her and tell her if she is eligible for assistance.

If you need FEMA or have questions about applying for assistance, click here