Floridians across the state are still dealing with massive amounts of damage left in Hurricane Irma's wake.

  • Floridians still reeling from Hurricane Irma
  • Merritt Island hard hit area in Brevard County
  • Storm caused flooding, damage to homes

One of the areas hit hardest in Brevard County appears to be Merritt Island, which suffered significant damage due to heavy winds and water.

Intini and Denise Ciro live in Long Island, but had planned to call their house off of Banana River Drive their new home, until Irma came through.

Irma caused around a foot of flooding through out the house and tens of thousands of dollars in damage. 

“We were scheduled to come down here this week and pretty much finish everything this has been a set back,” Intini Ciro said.

“We were almost there now -- we are starting all over again and cleaning up, we’ve been cleaning up for four or five days now,” Denise Ciro said.

With all of the damage to their property, they believed they’d be able to get assistance from FEMA; however, their first attempt to apply was rejected.

According to the couple, FEMA rejected their first application because Brevard County wasn't listed as a "disaster area."

After rechecking the status online Monday, they found that Brevard County is now included.

Now they’re hoping a second attempt will get them the help they need.

“We need to get the word out that Merritt Island did get hit hard, and we need help here from FEMA and the insurance companies,” Intini said.

Despite the hardships they are now facing, the Ciros remain optimistic, saying all they can do now is clean up the debris and begin the long process of rebuilding their retirement home.

“This is our retirement home. We’ve been saving all our lives for this, and now it is going to be hard to get it to where we want it to be,” Intini said.

If you have questions about how you can apply for disaster assistance check out their website.