My name is Luciana and I have a daughter named Theresa. We live in Tampa, FL where we were impacted by the storm surge from Hurricane Helene early on the morning of Friday September 27, 2024.

We woke up to the sound of a car alarm going off around 12:30 am in front of our building. As we investigated, we realized that it was flooded outside. Once we came to the realization of the flood, we made the decision to lay out towels in front of the front and sliding glass door. Despite this, water started rushing in around 1:30 at such a speed we couldn't lay out towels and blankets fast enough. In the panic we remembered we had power strips and tried to get those turned off, but unfortunately, we forgot one. Around 2:30 am, I entered my room to what sounded like rain and I asked my daughter about it, she responded "I smell something burning." I immediately said "the surge protector" and shined a light in that direction. I didn't see a fire or smoke, but Theresa said to turn off circuit breaker anyway. We called 911 and gave the dispatcher all the details. She said that she would send the fire department. As we were waiting for the fire department to show, I told Theresa we should have evacuated. I was worried about the water getting higher. The fire department never showed up. I am sure it was dangerous for them to be out in those conditions or they were dealing with more serious emergencies. I thank God the building did not catch on fire and we were safe. The water started receding at around 4 in the morning, although it hadn't fully cleared out until sometime Saturday.

The hurricane has affected us by Theresa's car being a total loss and we lost some possessions. I had trouble getting a rental car because most people experienced issues with their vehicles. I had to call out from work. We were stranded during storm surge and almost had a fire. I experienced emotional distress throughout this whole ordeal. We plan to use the funds to replace our possessions due to this disaster. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.