FEMA to End Hotel Room Shelters for Florida Irma Victims

Federal disaster officials are ending a program that paid for hotel rooms for more than 27,000 Florida households in the wake of Hurricane Irma.

FEMA officials announced Tuesday that the short-term emergency sheltering program will end March 10, six months after Irma hit the Sunshine State.

At the request of the state, FEMA extended the temporary hotel program five times over the last six months.

More than 26,000 households have already moved out after making home repairs or finding suitable longer-term housing.

FEMA has been working with survivors to help them identify resources and develop a long-term housing plan.

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Irma‘s winds peaked to 185 MPH and is considered the strongest Atlantic storms on record.The storm first U.S landfall occurred in the Florida Keys on Sunday September 10. A second landfall over Marco Island, Fla. Though Irma had lessened to a tropical storm the next day, the NWS reported that “a large wind field, with tropical storm force winds extending up to 415 miles from the center of the storm.”