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If you had uninsured losses from Tropical Storm Helene, don’t wait any longer to apply for financial help from FEMA. The deadline for applications is March 8.
FEMA may be able to help with temporary lodging, basic home repairs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in these counties can apply: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey counties, and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
There are several ways to apply: Visit a Disaster Recovery Center, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App, or call 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other, give FEMA your number for that service. To find a Disaster Recovery Center, go online to fema.gov/drc or text DRC and your ZIP code to 43362.
To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.
By The Numbers
• $394.9 million approved for 156,813 households, including money for rent, basic home repairs and other disaster-caused needs.
• $405 million in Public Assistance funding approved to support community recovery.
▪ $139.3 million approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration in low-interest disaster loans.
• 13,291 households have stayed in FEMA-paid hotel rooms (Transitional Sheltering Assistance).
•• As of March 3, 1,897 households remain.
• 181 households are living in FEMA temporary housing units.
• 3,677 households have received rental assistance.
• 6,194 families have received $18.2 million for repair or replacement of private-access roads and bridges.
• 4.8 million cubic yards of debris has been cleared from public rights of ways, 3.5 million by state contractors and 1.3 million by federal contractors.
• The waterway debris mission has removed 499,350 cubic yards of debris: 460,000 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 39,400 by state contractors.
• $52.2 million in disaster unemployment benefits have been provided to applicants.
• $153.9 million paid in claims by the National Flood Insurance Program.