INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — Municipalities up and down Tampa Bay's coast are still navigating the damage assessment process, and in some cases the wrong letter is being sent to homeowners.

What You Need To Know

  • An Indian Rocks Beach resident says she received two damage assessment letters, one stating she was clear to make repairs and the other saying the home is a total loss

  • Indian Rocks Beach city officials managed to clear up the issue

  • Some cities are struggling to address the workload of getting damage assessment letters to residents

Earlier this week, Spectrum Bay News 9 spoke with a St. Pete Beach man that dealt with receiving contradictory letters, and now an Indian Rocks Beach resident is talking about dealing with the same issue.

Storm surge from Hurricane Helene flooded Sonja Kis' home of over two decades, which is now gutted and awaiting repairs.

“One of my hobbies is decorating and fixing up. This house is my livelihood, it’s my sanity, it’s my home,” Kis said.

It’s been a long process of filing claims and filling out paperwork.

She received an email from Indian Rocks Beach in November saying that she can move forward with repairing her home.

However, just days before Christmas, she got another damage assessment letter in the mail which said that her home is beyond repair.

“The process of recovery has been, I have to say, much more traumatic than the actual flood incident itself,” Kis said.

Luckily, she was able to connect with city officials who cleared up the issue and said the first letter stating she can move forward with hiring contractors and make repairs was the correct one.

Kis says it has been a long frustrating road to get to this point.

She also says that she knows of many who are still dealing with the same issue, or haven’t received a damage assessment letter as of yet.