Governor Rick Scott today announced, in partnership with FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the launch of Operation Blue Roof, which temporarily repairs roofs at no cost to families. The temporary covering of blue plastic sheeting helps reduce further damage to property until permanent repairs can be made. Operation Blue Roof is available to all counties approved for FEMA Individual Assistance:
- Bay
- Franklin
- Gulf
- Taylor
- Wakulla
- Calhoun
- Liberty
- Jackson
- Gadsden
- Holmes
- Washington
- Leon
Governor Scott said, “The Blue Roof Program will help families whose roofs are damaged and enable many to stay in their homes while more permanent repairs are made. I am encouraging every eligible family to participate in this helpful program. Every day, I am visiting communities impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Michael to help find solutions to problems our communities are facing. We will not rest until the Panhandle and Big Bend is fully recovered from this storm.”
FEMA Administrator Brock Long said, “As we work to help Florida reach its recovery goals, we know tarps and temporary roof repairs are critical. Operation Blue Roof will provide relief to many families impacted by Hurricane Michael.”
USACE Jacksonville District Commander Col. Andrew Kelly said, “Our goal is to provide assistance to eligible homeowners as quickly as possible. We recognize the urgency of this mission and are ramping up our capability to provide this service until we meet the needs of those impacted.”
Primary residences that have standard shingled roofs are eligible to receive a temporary blue roof. Metal roofs and mobile homes will be considered for the program, as practical on a case by case basis. Roofs with greater than 50 percent structural damage are not eligible for this program. Renters must obtain legal permission from the homeowner to continue occupying the residence until more permanent repairs are made.
Homeowners must sign a Right of Entry (ROE) form to allow government employees and contractors onto their property to assess damage and install the temporary covering. ROE collection centers will be set up by Corps teams in convenient neighborhood locations. Daily updates will be provided on collection center locations.
Right of Entry collection centers are located at:
Panama City Square
525 W 23rd Street
Panama City, FL
Walmart
15495 Panama City Beach Parkway
Panama City Beach, FL
Lowes
11751 Panama City Beach Parkway
Panama City Beach, FL
Centers are open from 8am-6pm CDT daily. Additional locations may be added as necessary.
For the most current information, please visit the Jacksonville District website at usace.army.mil/blueroof or call 1-888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258). Information is provided in both English and Spanish through this single number.
