A state-hired contractor, Tidal Basin Group, made numerous mistakes assessing hurricane-damaged homes in Pinellas County, causing confusion and delays for residents trying to rebuild. The company’s reports, often based on incomplete or incorrect data-sometimes without entering homes-led to thousands of “substantially damaged” letters, requiring homeowners to either demolish or rebuild to stricter standards.

Homeowners across six cities reported being flagged for damage that didn’t exist, such as non-existent flooring removal or exaggerated repair costs. City officials and residents found themselves navigating a confusing bureaucracy to challenge these assessments, often being redirected between departments without resolution. Some city governments had to correct hundreds of errors, further slowing recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requires local agencies to determine if a home is “substantially damaged”-meaning repair costs exceed about half its market value. This is intended to prevent repetitive rebuilding of vulnerable properties and maintain federal flood insurance discounts. In Pinellas, assessors used tax data and FEMA’s calculator tool, but the process produced inflated or inaccurate results for many homes.

Tidal Basin Group, which has secured over $82 million in contracts for similar work statewide, defended its process, as did county officials, citing multiple layers of quality control. However, internal and external reviews revealed widespread flaws. One former Tidal Basin appraiser said almost every contested assessment she reviewed was incorrect, often due to incompatible data and inflated repair costs.

Residents like Wendy Durocher and Jim Averill at Crystal Bay Mobile Home Club found themselves in limbo, unable to get clear explanations or timely reassessments. Some left their homes, while others faced escalating repair estimates without new inspections. Many residents, particularly those on fixed incomes, risk losing affordable housing.

The tangled bureaucracy and finger-pointing between Tidal Basin, county officials, and local governments left many residents feeling abandoned. While some officials criticized Tidal Basin’s methods, others defended the company. As the next hurricane season approaches, many questions about accountability and process remain unresolved.

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(Image credit: Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times)

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