TAMPA, Fla. — The city of Tampa is mailing out nearly 2,000 damage assessment letters to homeowners who live in flood hazard areas.

The letters will notify homeowners if their homes suffered substantial damage in Helene or Milton, and if the cost of repairing the house is more than half of its value.

It’s a FEMA requirement, where if the cost of repair to the home is more than 50% of its value, the home cannot be repaired without meeting current code requirements.

It could require elevating a home, or flood-proofing a business.

One of the hardest hit areas in Tampa is in the Palmetto Beach area, where storm surge flooded homes, many of which remain empty to this day, awaiting repairs.

One man, Ross McCarthy, has been living in his home for 18 years and says he has never had floodwaters inside his home until Hurricane Helene.

He says it looked like a massive mud slide swept through his home when he returned after the hurricane.

“I lost a lot of collectibles – my garage was trashed – I had refrigerators in there and they were flipped upside down – my washing machines were flipped over,” McCarthy said.

He says many of his neighbors have yet to return, leaving his street feeling like a ghost town.

He lucked out in that his damage isn’t as bad as what others might be dealing with.

The city says the damage assessment letter is only a preliminary assessment and a final substantial damage determination will be made after further inspection.