FEMA may provide money and other services to help you recover from losses caused by a presidentially declared disaster, such as damage to your home, car, and other personal items.
Note: FEMA does not provide assistance for small businesses impacted by a disaster. Our partner, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), offers low interest loans for business damage. Also, we do not offer housing assistance for secondary homes, only for your primary residence.
You may qualify for FEMA disaster assistance even if you have insurance. You must file a claim with your insurance provider and submit the insurance settlement or denial letter to FEMA to determine your eligibility for some forms of assistance.
Apply for FEMA Assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov
What FEMA Assistance Covers
Housing Assistance
- 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.
- Home Repair or Replacement: money to help you repair or replace your home damaged by the disaster.
- Accessibility Needs: money to help survivors with a disability address specific repairs to ensure their home is accessible.
- Privately-owned Roads, Bridges, Docks: money for survivors whose only access to their home has been damaged by the disaster.
- Temporary Housing Unit: if approved for the disaster, when you are not able to use rental assistance due to a lack of available housing resources.
- Hazard Mitigation: Money for specific measures to help eligible homeowners repair or rebuild stronger, more durable homes
Other Needs Assistance
Serious Needs Assistance (SNA)
An upfront, flexible payment per household for essential items like food, water, baby formula, breast feeding supplies, medication and other serious disaster-related needs.
NOTE: SNA is not a form of reimbursement for loss of power or replacing food. It is intended for emergency needs only.
- Displacement: money to help with housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster.
- Childcare: money to help you pay for childcare expenses or an increase in childcare expenses caused by the disaster.
- 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.
- Funeral: money to help you pay for funeral or reburial expenses caused by the disaster.
- Group Flood Insurance Policy: purchase of a flood insurance policy with three years coverage if your home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, and you have flood damage caused by the disaster.
- Medical/Dental: money to help you pay for expenses related to disaster-caused injuries or illnesses.
- Personal Property: money to help you repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, and a personal or family computer damaged 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.
For additional information about Other Needs Assistance, please visit Chapter 3, Section VI in the Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guide (IAPPG).