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Byline: CHAD BINETTE and MIKE SAEWITZ STAFF WRITERS
Flood waters inflicted at least $11.3 million in damage across five Southwest Florida counties, according to estimates released Friday.
The figures for Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, Hendry and Hardee counties fall short of the $18 million in damages needed for a presidential disaster declaration that would bring federal grants for rebuilding, said Gregg Feagans, chief of Emergency Management for Sarasota County.
But officials in those counties are hoping for low-interest loans from the Small Business Administration to help homeowners and businesses recover. The threshold for receiving that assistance may be easier to cross, and officials may know within two weeks if the area qualifies, Feagans said.
A complicated formula including the number of structures damaged and the amount of uninsured losses is used to calculate disaster declarations.
Judy Mears and her husband, eight-year residents of Hidden River, are hoping for help to recover from five feet of flood water that poured into their home.
"We have some insurance, but it's nowhere near going to cover the damage," she said. "We're just kind of waiting to see."