# DR-4806, DR-4828 & DR-4834: What Three FEMA Declarations Mean for Hillsborough County Home Buyers and Sellers > Hillsborough County was hit by three FEMA major disaster declarations in 2024. Here's what Debby, Helene, and Milton mean if you're buying or selling there. **Canonical URL**: https://stpetehomeguide.com/blog/fema-dr-4806-dr-4828-dr-4834-hillsborough-county-home-buyers-sellers-2026 **Author**: Luke Salm **Published**: 2026-10-05 **Updated**: 2026-10-05 **Keywords**: FEMA disaster declaration Hillsborough County, DR-4806 Hillsborough County, DR-4828 Hillsborough County, DR-4834 Hillsborough County, flood insurance Hillsborough County, Tampa home buyers flood disclosure, FEMA assistance flood insurance requirement Tampa, Hillsborough County flood zone home buying 2026 If you're shopping for a home in Tampa, Temple Terrace, or anywhere in unincorporated Hillsborough County right now, there are three FEMA case numbers you need to write down: **DR-4806**, **DR-4828**, and **DR-4834**. They represent the three consecutive major disaster declarations that hit Hillsborough County in the summer and fall of 2024 — Hurricane Debby, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton — and they're still reshaping what it costs to own, insure, and sell a home here nearly a year later. Here's what each one actually means at the transaction level. ## The Three Declarations, Decoded DR-4806 covers Hurricane Debby, with an incident period of August 1–27, 2024, and a declaration date of August 10, 2024. Under Amendment No. 4, Hillsborough County was declared adversely affected and eligible for Individual Assistance. DR-4828 covers Hurricane Helene, with an incident period of September 23 through October 7, 2024, and a declaration date of September 28, 2024. The scale of that storm was staggering: approved Individual Assistance funding for DR-4828 totaled more than $862 million, with 170,693 applications approved statewide. DR-4834 covers Hurricane Milton, with an incident period of October 5 through November 2, 2024, and a declaration date of October 11, 2024. Approved Individual Assistance for DR-4834 exceeded $887 million statewide. All three declarations authorized Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation programs for Hillsborough County. That trifecta matters for anyone buying or selling property here. ## The Hidden String Attached to Every FEMA Grant This is the part most buyers don't hear until they're already under contract: receiving federal disaster assistance permanently changes a property's insurance obligations. If a property received federal disaster assistance — including SBA disaster loans or FEMA Individual Assistance grants — the owner must maintain flood insurance for the life of the property. That requirement transfers to future owners if you sell, making it a permanent condition attached to the property itself. Read that again. It doesn't matter if you're the second, third, or fourth owner after Debby, Helene, or Milton. If someone ever collected a FEMA grant at that address, you inherit the flood insurance mandate at closing. This requirement applies even if the assistance went to a previous owner of your home. By law, home sellers in Florida must tell potential buyers whether they've ever filed a flood insurance claim or received federal assistance for flood damage to the property. My advice: ask for that disclosure in writing before you make an offer — not after inspection. ## What Flood Insurance Actually Costs in Hillsborough Right Now Three disaster declarations in four months accelerated the Risk Rating 2.0 repricing that was already underway. The current average annual NFIP flood insurance premium in Hillsborough County is approximately $1,418 per year, or about $118 per month. That sounds manageable — until you look at where rates are heading. FEMA data shows Hillsborough County's previous average cost was $799 per year, while the risk-based average cost under Risk Rating 2.0 is projected at $1,840 — a 130% increase over the prior baseline. Under federal law, your flood insurance rate typically can't go up more than 18% in a given year. So for high-risk properties that are underpriced, it may take several years of 18% increases to reach what FEMA considers their true risk-based premiums. For buyers running purchase-price math on a Hillsborough home in a flood zone, that gap between today's premium and the actuarial rate is a liability hiding in plain sight. Budget for the ramp, not today's number. ## The 50% Rule Adds Another Layer for Storm-Damaged Homes If a home in Hillsborough was substantially damaged by any of the three storms and sits inside a Special Flood Hazard Area, the FEMA 50% rule kicks in before the seller can legally close on repairs. Hillsborough County has mailed letters to all residential and commercial properties in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area — flood zones A, AE, V, VE, AO, AH, AR, or A99 — outlining FEMA's 50% rule, how to comply, and how to apply for building permits through the county portal. When work is determined to be substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage, the existing structure must be brought into compliance with the Florida Building Code and Hillsborough County's Flood Damage Control Regulations. In practice, that usually means elevating the structure to or above Base Flood Elevation — a project that can run $40,000–$100,000 or more depending on the home. The upside: an elevated, compliant home typically earns a much lower NFIP premium going forward, which is a real selling point. Hillsborough County is a qualifying community under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) by adopting and enforcing regulations and codes that apply to all development within the Special Flood Hazard Area. The county's NFIP participation requires strict adherence to floodplain management practices that exceed the federal minimum program requirements. ## What This Means If You're Buying or Selling in Tampa Right Now For **buyers**: before you fall in love with a Hillsborough home, run the address through FEMA's Flood Map Service Center to confirm the flood zone, then ask the seller point-blank whether any of the three disaster numbers (DR-4806, DR-4828, DR-4834) triggered a grant at that property. Check whether any permits for post-storm repairs have been pulled and closed. And get an insurance quote *before* the inspection period ends — not after. For **sellers**: disclose early and disclose everything. Florida law requires it, and buyers who discover undisclosed disaster history after closing have legal recourse. Homes with fully permitted, inspected post-storm repairs and documented elevation certificates sell faster and attract more financed buyers than homes where the storm history is murky. Transparency is your best marketing tool in this environment. Hillsborough County has had 47 county-designated federal disaster declarations on record spanning 1968 through 2024. Three of those declarations landed in a single four-month window in 2024. That concentration is exactly why buyers moving to Tampa need a local agent who understands flood zones, disaster history disclosure, and how Risk Rating 2.0 is repricing risk street by street. If you're trying to figure out what a specific Hillsborough County address's flood situation looks like — or what your home is worth after storm repairs — I'm happy to walk you through it. Check out the [Hillsborough County flood zone buyer's guide](/questions/hillsborough-county-flood-zone-map-ae-neighborhoods) or run your numbers with the [home value calculator](/questions/what-is-my-home-worth-in-tampa) as a starting point. ## Frequently asked questions **Q: What are FEMA disaster declarations DR-4806, DR-4828, and DR-4834 in Hillsborough County?** DR-4806 is the major disaster declaration for Hurricane Debby (August 2024), DR-4828 covers Hurricane Helene (September 2024), and DR-4834 covers Hurricane Milton (October 2024). All three include Hillsborough County as a designated area eligible for Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, and Hazard Mitigation funding. **Q: If a Hillsborough County home received FEMA disaster assistance, does the flood insurance requirement transfer to the new buyer?** Yes. If a property received federal disaster assistance — including FEMA Individual Assistance grants or SBA disaster loans — the owner must maintain flood insurance for the life of the property. That requirement transfers to future owners at closing, even if the assistance was received by a previous owner. **Q: Are Hillsborough County home sellers required to disclose FEMA disaster assistance?** Yes. Florida law requires sellers to disclose whether they have ever filed a flood insurance claim or received federal assistance for flood damage to the property. Buyers should ask for this disclosure in writing before making an offer on any Hillsborough County home. **Q: How much does flood insurance cost in Hillsborough County in 2026?** The current average annual NFIP flood insurance premium in Hillsborough County is approximately $1,418 per year, or about $118 per month. However, FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 projects a full risk-based rate of around $1,840 per year for the county — 130% higher than the prior average — meaning costs will continue rising up to 18% per year until they reach the actuarial rate. **Q: What is the FEMA 50% rule and how does it affect Hillsborough County homes hit by Debby, Helene, or Milton?** The FEMA 50% rule requires that any home in a Special Flood Hazard Area (flood zones AE, VE, AO, etc.) that sustains damage or improvements equal to 50% or more of the structure's market value must be brought into full compliance with current floodplain building codes. In Hillsborough County, this means elevating the structure to or above the Base Flood Elevation, which adds significant cost but often reduces long-term insurance premiums. --- *Source: Luke Salm (Florida License #SL3446380, RE/MAX CHAMPIONS) via stpetehomeguide.com. 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