GULFPORT, Fla. (WFLA) — A Gulfport couple waited nearly five months before obtaining a permit from city officials to replace their roof and repair the gaping hole left behind from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

However, there is a new wrinkle in their recovery plan after recently receiving a notice from city officials in the mail.

Becky McCoy and Jim Newman thought they were in the clear to rebuild their home after receiving a substantial damage determination letter last November.

It said the amount of damage to their home was less than 6%.

However, the couple recently received a second substantial damage from the city that came with an unwelcome surprise.

“It stated at 61.3% we now have to tear our house down or elevate it,” said Becky McCoy. “No other choice. It was a huge gut punch.”

McCoy and Newman are grappling with the fact that the new letter reported 10 times more damage than their original assessment.

The couple spent several months to comply with the city’s evolving list of the requirements needed to get their permit application approved.

“They gave me my permit,” said Jim Newman. “Now what? Are they going to come and tell us to tear it down?”

Between the hurricanes and the flooding, storm victims are still trying to get back into their homes after last year’s hurricane season.

FEMA’s so-called “50% rule” is a complex federal regulation that can cost homeowners a small fortune. Essentially, if you’re in a flood zone, and you have substantial damage, you might not be allowed to just do simple repairs. You may be forced to tear down your home, and completely rebuild, at a higher elevation.

Your local building officials will be the one to give you the bad news.

However, the City of Gulfport is alerting residents about significant discrepancies in their damage assessments.

“We’re finding that there are inaccuracies,” said Justin Shea, a spokesperson for the City of Gulfport. “I can say about 25% of what we’re finding. We’re looking at these cases in clusters.”

FEMA’s rule is triggered when the cost of repairs exceeds 50% of your home’s market value.

Federal officials say they want people in vulnerable areas to upgrade their homes because when they don’t, there’s a chance their property could continue to flood during storms.

If the National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP makes a payment, then all taxpayers are on the hook.

However, residents are questioning the city’s inspection process without reviewing the interior of the home.

“The first damage assessment that took place was an inspector that just walked through the neighborhood and took a couple of pictures from the sidewalk and used one property as the base sample for five or six houses up the street,” one resident said.