FEMA Assistance is Available for People Affected by Hurricane Helene, More Than $45 Million Already in the Hands of Survivors

WASHINGTON -- Throughout the Southeast, FEMA has already helped thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors jumpstart their recoveries with more than $45million in flexible, upfront funding.

President Biden approved Major Disaster Declarations for Georgia,Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia for Hurricane Helene. Individuals and households who have disaster-related needs due to Hurricane Helene may be eligible for disaster assistance under FEMA's Individual Assistance Program. Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.

FEMA Assistance Can Help Jumpstart Recovery

Other Needs Assistance

Individuals and families in the designated areas may be eligible to receive money to help with necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster, such as:

Serious Needs: Serious Needs Assistance is an upfront, flexible payment per household for essential items like food, water, baby formula, breast feeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies. There are other forms of assistance listed below that people may qualify for to receive, and Serious Needs Assistance is an initial payment people may receive, while you wait for additional funds. As people's applications continue to be reviewed, they may still receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as support for temporary housing, personal property and home repair costs listed below.

Displacement: Displacement Assistance is money to help with housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, to stay with family and friends or other options while you look for a more permanent housing solution.

Personal Property: Money to help you repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, and a personal or family computer damaged by the disaster. This can also include money for books, uniforms, tools, additional computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment.

Medical/Dental: Money to help you pay for expenses related to disaster-caused injuries or illnesses. This money can also be used to help replace medical/dental equipment, breastfeeding equipment, or prescribed medicine damaged or lost because of the disaster.

Funeral: Money to help you pay for funeral or reburial expenses caused by the disaster.

Childcare: Money to help you pay for childcare expenses or an increase in childcare expenses caused by the disaster.

Assistance for Miscellaneous Items: Money to help you pay for specific items (such as a generator, dehumidifier, chainsaw, etc.) that you purchased or rented after the disaster to assist with recovery. The miscellaneous items may be used for gaining access to your property or with cleaning efforts caused by the disaster.

Transportation: Money to help you repair or replace a vehicle damaged by the disaster when you don't have another vehicle you can use.

Moving and Storage Expenses: Money to help you move and store personal property from your home to prevent additional damage, usually while you are making repairs to your home or moving to a new place due to the disaster.

Group Flood Insurance Policy: If your home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and you have flood damage caused by the disaster, FEMA may purchase a Group Flood Insurance Policy on your behalf that gives you three years of coverage.

Clean and Sanitize: Money to help you pay for very minor damage caused by the disaster to prevent additional loss and potential health or safety concerns. This money is only available in certain disasters if you had property damage but were not eligible for home repair or replacement assistance because FEMA determined you could still live safely in your home.

Housing Assistance

Money to help you with expenses for damage caused to your home, which may include:

Rental Assistance: Money you can use to rent housing if you are displaced from your home because of the disaster.

Lodging Expense Reimbursement: Money to reimburse you for emergency lodging expenses such as hotel or motel if you are displaced from your home because of the disaster. This money is only available if you do not receive money for displacement under Other Needs Assistance.

Home Repair or Replacement: Money to help you repair or replace your home damaged by the disaster. For example, this may include addressing mold caused by the disaster. Another example is money for hazard mitigation measures, which is an action you can take when making repairs that will help reduce the amount of damage to your home in future disasters. The money can also help with pre-existing damage to parts of your home where the disaster caused further damage.

Accessibility Needs: Money to help survivors with a disability address specific repairs to ensure their home is accessible such as exterior ramps, grab bars and paved paths to a home's entrance. Repairs can be made when these items are damaged. Improvements can be made when those features were not present prior to the disaster, and they are needed due to a pre-existing disability or a disability caused by the disaster.

Privately-owned Roads, Bridges, Docks: Money for survivors whose only access to their home has been damaged by the disaster.

People who applied for and received FEMA assistance for Hurricane Debby that occurred in August can still apply and receive assistance for damage from Hurricane Helene if their primary home is located in one of the declared counties. People who have not applied for assistance as a result of Hurricane Debby, but have damages from both disasters, should apply under Hurricane Helene.

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance

The first step residents can take to jumpstart their recovery is to apply for FEMA assistance. There are four ways to apply and learn about other forms of assistance that may be available.

• Call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Calls are accepted every day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. To view an accessible video about how to apply, visit: FEMA Accessible: Registering for Individual Assistance - YouTube.
• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov. If you have access to WiFi and your electronic devices have power, applying online is the easiest, fastest and most convenient way to apply.
• On the FEMA App for mobile devices. You can also use the app's Disaster Recovery Center locator feature to find an open center nearby.
• Visit any Disaster Recovery Center. For locations and hours, visit fema.gov/drc.

FEMA disaster assistance is intended to meet the basic needs of your household for uninsured or underinsured necessary expenses and serious needs so that you can jumpstart your recovery.

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