Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are working in Hurricane Florence affected-areas in North Carolina to help survivors register for assistance, identify and address immediate and emerging needs, and make referrals to other local, state and voluntary agencies to best meet survivors’ needs.
Using the latest mobile technology, DSA staff can register survivors for disaster assistance, update their records and make referrals to local, state, and voluntary agency partners. During this process, specialists will ask for some personal information including: social security number, annual income and bank information, as well as names of occupants of the impacted property.
Like all FEMA field personnel, team members can be identified easily by their photo identifications and the FEMA logo on their shirts. Residents are encouraged to ask for official identification before providing personal information.
In addition to the registration opportunity offered by DSA teams, survivors can register for assistance by the following methods:
- Visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Call 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY users) (Multilingual operators are available, press 2 for Spanish) to register. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, seven days a week.
After registering for disaster assistance, you may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In times of disasters, the SBA offers low-interest loans for businesses, homeowners and renters. The SBA will contact you with information on how to apply. There’s no obligation to accept a loan, but you may miss out on the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds if you don’t submit an application.
Information about low-interest SBA disaster loans and application forms are available online at SBA.gov/disaster. You may also call 1-800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. If you use TTY, call 1-800-877-8339.
Although the federal government cannot make you whole, it may help your recovery move forward by providing grants for basic repairs to make your home safe, sanitary and secure. FEMA disaster assistance may also provide temporary help with a place for you and your family to stay while you build your own recovery plan.
