ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – It's been over four months since Hurricane Matthew swept up Florida's east coast, yet the cleanup and restoration efforts continue in the Davis Shores neighborhood of St. Augustine, one of the areas hardest hit by the storm.
St. Augustine officials are scheduled to have a meeting Tuesday to address infrastructure issues in the city, but Davis Shores residents just want answers on when they are getting their homes repaired.
Many residents are frustrated with the amount of time and money it is taking to repair their homes.
Greg Blaeford's home was damaged during the storm, and he is not able to afford the long wait it takes to get his insurance claim paid out.
"I haven't paid the mortgage last couple of months because I just don't have the money to do that," Blaeford said. "So, it's crazy."
Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew in October, Blaeford said he has been put on an interminable "hold" by his insurance company.
Blaeford told News4Jax he is waiting on $70,000 even though repairs are going to cost twice that amount.
PHOTOS: Davis Shores home damaged in Hurricane Matthew
"Well, I've been using my three credit cards. They're up to the maximum right now," Blaeford said.
Although Blaeford said he doesn't think he'll attend the town hall meeting Tuesday, he believes infrastructure needs to be improved so flooding doesn't occur even when there's no severe weather.
Blaeford told News4Jax he couldn't wait for the insurance check to start fixing his home, which was heavily damaged by flooding.
"All the floors were buckled. All the floors had to be replaced," Blaeford said. "I had to get this place dry. I had to get the smell of sewage and bad water out of here. It was just horrendous. So, we had to get the cleanup done and get it dried out. It was crucially important."
The town hall-style meeting will take place at R.B. Hunt Elementary School from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.