Sarasota County homeowners who sustained damage to their roofs from Hurricane Ian may now be eligible for Operation Blue Roof, a federal program that provides fiber-reinforced sheeting to cover roofs until arrangements can be made for permanent repairs.

Operation Blue Roof is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is a free service to homeowners that protects property, reduces temporary housing costs and allows residents to remain in their homes while recovering from the storm.

Residents are encouraged to sign up and check the status of their applications through the online portal at BlueRoof.us. The online process takes 5 minutes or less to complete.

Residents can also call the toll-free number at (888) 766-3258 to speak to a live operator and apply, but should expect the process to take up to 20 minutes. Hours of operation for the phone line are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

To Qualify for the Blue Roof Program:

• The home must be the primary residence of the person or household requesting the emergency roof covering; and
• The residence has NO more than 50 percent of the roof framing damaged. The framing must support the plastic sheeting as a temporary repair, and be able to provide safe shelter once contractors install the tarp; and
• The resident certifies that he or she is the owner of the residence requested to be covered or is a renter that has obtained legal permission to continue occupying the residence until more permanent repairs are made; and
• The resident certifies that they will shelter in the residence that they have requested to be covered; and
• The roof must be standard roof shingles, or a similar material that will allow contractors to nail the tarp in place.

Contractors will consider repairs to metal roofs and mobile homes on a case-by-case basis and will install the cover if possible. Contractors cannot cover roofs made of materials such as slate, asbestos or clay tile, or other material which would be exceptionally difficult to repair, or would likely be damaged during tarp installation.