Officials are asking residents affected by the December tornadoes to stay in touch with FEMA to help speed up your recovery.
Officials say as homeowners and renters recover from the tornadoes, particularly after you have applied for FEMA assistance, your circumstances may have changed — you may have a new address or phone number, your insurance claims may have been settled, or you may need more help with essential needs but aren’t sure where to turn. For these reasons, FEMA officials say they may need to contact you, and missing or wrong information could delay the delivery of assistance.
According to officials, survivors of the December 10-11 tornadoes can contact FEMA to update your applications, get the status of your case or ask questions about the disaster assistance process. You’re encouraged to update FEMA with your contact information, including any email changes, as soon as possible and as often as necessary.
Officials say FEMA also can refer you to available services like crisis counseling, disaster legal assistance or non-profit programs that offer additional resources for your remaining needs.
In addition, you need to notify FEMA when your insurance claim is settled. Officials indicate FEMA’s Individual Assistance program may cover damage that your insurance does not.
Here’s how to stay in touch with FEMA:
• Create an online account at DisasterAssistance.gov. If you already have one, you can log in and update your status or upload your documents.
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as a video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, give FEMA the number for that service. Helpline operators are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
• You can fax FEMA at 800-827-8112 and provide a copy of your insurance settlement and your
appeal letter. You may also submit documents to this address:
FEMA National Processing Service Center
P.O. Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
When contacting FEMA, keep handy the nine-digit number assigned to you when you applied.
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