The deadline for North Carolinians to register for disaster assistance has been extended one week to 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018. FEMA granted the extension at the request of Gov. Roy Cooper.
“We want to make sure that our hurricane survivors get the help they need to get their lives back on track,” said the governor. “I urge anyone impacted by Hurricane Florence to register with FEMA right away.”
Disaster assistance for individuals may include grants to help homeowners and renters with temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement, and serious disaster-related needs. Disaster assistance grants are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other federal and state programs.
Grants do not have to be repaid to the federal government.
“FEMA understands that some people may have waited, and certainly this past week’s winter storms may have impacted their ability to register,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albie Lewis, who is in charge of FEMA’s operations in North Carolina. “We urge anyone who has damage or losses from Florence to register now before it’s too late.”
Here’s how to apply for assistance before the Dec. 19 deadline:
Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or DisasterAssistance.gov/es (for Spanish)
Call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) anytime from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.
In-person American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available by calling or texting 202-655-8824. Go online to watch a video on how to Request an American Sign Language interpreter.
For more information on North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Florence, visit ncdps.gov/Florence and FEMA.gov/Disaster/4393. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.
Angela D. Byrd, Media Relations Specialist, External Affairs, FEMA