Santa Rosa County opens MARC, weekend FEMA assistance hours for Hurricane Isaias recovery

Santa Rosa County is reopening a Multi-Agency Resource Center on Friday with expanded weekend hours to help residents navigate disaster recovery following Hurricane Isaias.

The center will operate 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at the Santa Rosa County Administrative Complex Boardroom, 6495 Caroline Street in Milton. When the boardroom is in use for meetings, the MARC will relocate to the lobby area. The reopening is supported by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and federal agencies.

Residents can meet face-to-face with representatives from the State of Florida, FEMA, and the U.S. Small Business Administration without an appointment. The county has also set up dedicated FEMA Individual Assistance registration points at two locations — the Administrative Complex hallway and Bray-Hendricks Park in Jay — both open Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional locations may open as recovery efforts continue.

Santa Rosa County has received a FEMA Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance, making residents who suffered Hurricane Isaias damage eligible to apply for housing grants, home repairs, low-interest loans, and other relief programs. Residents can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, by phone at 1-800-621-3362, or through the FEMA mobile app. FEMA recommends filing insurance claims first before applying for federal assistance.