PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — It’s been years since Hurricane Idalia and a year since Hurricane Helene, but for many Pinellas County residents, recovery still feels far from over.

On Monday, the county launched five new disaster recovery programs, part of its People First Hurricane Recovery initiative offering millions of dollars in state and federal funding to help residents rebuild, repair, and return home.

Margaret Cook said she’s been scraping by on a fixed income and rising rent after losing nearly everything in last year’s storms.

“I had been in my house since ’09, and I never had to evacuate,” she said.

Cook was one of dozens who lined up at the help center Monday morning, looking for a path forward.

“Anything would help guide me in the right direction,” she said.

The county’

See Full Page