WIMAUMA, Fla. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is going door to door in counties impacted by Debby, letting residents know they can apply for assistance. 

Manatee and Sarasota counties are just two of 10 receiving help, but not all areas with damage from Debby have this FEMA designation. Parts of Hillsborough County experienced flooding, but there is no FEMA assistance there.

Heather Potter has lived in Wimauma her entire life and said she had never seen flooding like she did after Debby.

“The water came up to these two trees,” she said as she walked around her four-acre property in Wimauma. She said her family spent the last week cleaning up, but she still can’t believe how much water there was.

“At 3 p.m. Sunday, everything was fine. It was like a normal flood, like it always has for the last 13 years of me living here. I was born and raised in Wimauma, Florida. I’m 43 years old, never seen anything like this,” she said.

A video Potter took when the water was at its highest shows it coming all the way up the stairs of her home. Her property connects to the Little Manatee River, which Spectrum Bay News 9 meteorologists said crested at 19.47 feet on Aug. 6. That is considered major flood stage. 

Potter said she lost a lot with water coming up to the floors of her main house, but still, she’s received no help.

“I’ve called FEMA for three days straight now, and I’ve (been) passed to the next person, passed to the next person, until I’ve gotten hung up on, and I’ve gotten nowhere,” she said.

Despite the damage, Hillsborough County isn’t receiving FEMA assistance yet, so Potter said she took to Facebook for help.

“Normally, I don’t do that, I’m normally the one who gives the shirt off my back. This time, unfortunately, I’m having to ask for help,” she said. 

Potter said the community is stepping up, neighbors helping neighbors, and for that, she’s thankful.

Our meteorologists said Wimauma also received 8.5 inches of rain from Debby. Right now, the river is back to normal levels.

FEMA individual assistance is only offered once the county has a major disaster declaration, and as of Wednesday, Hillsborough County has not reached the threshold to declare it. The threshold is $6.7 million in damages.

County officials are still doing damage assessments and said they’ll continue submitting data to try to declare. There is a link for residents to report any damage to their homes and property.