Apalachicola- Franklin County oysterman John Crum joined close to fifty other people who showed up to FEMA's Distaster Recovery Center in Apalachicola Wednesday.

"We didn't predict it (T.S. Debby) was going to be that bad," said Crum.

Crum was looking for some major finanical help after he said Tropical Storm Debby dealt a devastating blow to his home and business.

"My house a tree fell down on it in Carabelle. It sunk my boat right away," said Crum.

In just a week's time more than five thousand people total statewide have turned to the federal agency for assistance.

"It gets pretty emotional, not only for the survivors but for the FEMA people too," said FEMA Spokeman Tim Tyson.

Tyson said a big reason for that is many residents are dealing with another major disaster within just two years.

"They had the oil spill first and now they have Tropical Storm Debby so they're a little shell shocked," said Tyson.

He told NewsChannel 7 along with the obvious damage claims, he's also seeing many from a silent killer.

"Mold, and this weather pattern is just mold, black mold can set up in two days," said Tyson.

The application process for federal aid consists of filling out some paperwork and reaching a settlement with your insurance company. Crum said he hopes the assistance comes sooner rather than later.

"It's just like the bottom came out from under me," said Crum.

FEMA officials said the two disaster recovery centers will remain open as long as needed. Before you go, FEMA officials recommend you register with the federal agency first. You can either call 800-621-FEMA (if you're deaf or hard of hearing 800-462-7585), visit www.disasterassistance.gov, or on a tablet or smartphone go to m.fema.gov.