MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Residents in Rubonia are still reeling from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Many residents are in need of help.
In the aftermath of a major storm like Hurricane Helene, many victims are holding on to the few memories they have left.
For Tonia Martinez, a family picture is one of them.
“God protected that. It’s amazing,” she said.
She says at least two feet of water flooded her home, damaging many of her belongings and furniture.
But she said she’s just grateful she, her family, and her dog made it out safely. Martinez says her 6-year-old granddaughter was impacted the most.
I checked on the residents living in #Rubonia who have lost almost everything from #Hurricanehelene one resident told me she thanks god every day for keeping her family safe from the flooding in her home. Now she’s helping others in her community. Tune in @BN9 to hear her plans. pic.twitter.com/NlRDCR536h
— Julia Hazel (@Julia_HazelTV) October 4, 2024
“And as we were talking about the waters coming in, she began to cry. She says, ‘Oh my, why does this have to happen? I wish the flood never came,’ and she just started crying,” she said.
Martinez doesn’t have flood insurance, so her main concern now is getting help from FEMA.
“Waiting on FEMA, because in this area, it’s hard to get insurance companies to write policies for floods,” she said.
Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio sent a letter to FEMA urging the agency to expedite hurricane reimbursements to local governments.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said while FEMA can meet immediate needs, it does not have enough funding to make it through hurricane season.
“We are suffering. We need help. Not just because it happened to me personally, because I love people. It happened to a lot of people,” Martinez said.
But Martinez isn’t used to waiting for help — she’s usually the one providing it.
She formed a nonprofit in 2022 called “Blessings Without Borders” that assists the homeless.
“I felt so much joy with that. I mean, joy like I had never seen, I felt before, and I knew that was my calling,” Martinez said.
Now, she’s using those efforts to aid hurricane victims.
“You know, this is the community I grew up in. This is the community that I love. So why not start here?” she said.
Helping a community might be a big job, but Martinez says she has an extra hand.
“I’m not going to worry, because God is still God, and God is still good,” she said.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, Blessings Without Borders will be handing out clothes and necessities for Hurricane Helene victims at Rubonia on the slab on 72nd Street and Bayshore Road.