DES MOINES, Iowa – Iowa homeowners and renters who have registered for disaster assistance with FEMA are encouraged by recovery officials to “stay in touch” with the agency after they have applied for assistance.
By staying in touch, you may avoid delays in getting the appropriate assistance or in scheduling a home inspection. Make sure you provide FEMA with any updated information such as:
- A change your phone number.
- A new secondary phone number (such as a new cell phone).
- A change your address (even if temporarily).
- A change in the makeup of your household.
FEMA has provided two ways for you to update your information:
- Visit the FEMA website at DisasterAssistance.gov to upload documents.
- Call the toll-free FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CDT, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.
When updating status information, refer to your nine-digit number issued at registration. This number is on all correspondence you receive from FEMA and is a key identifier in tracking assistance requests.
For more information on the Iowa disaster and a variety of recovery resources, log on to: www.floods2019.iowa.gov or call 2-1-1. Find additional information at www.fema.gov/disaster/4421.
The Iowa Department of Human Rights can provide information on resources for people with disabilities. Call 515-242-5655 or go online at https://humanrights.iowa.gov.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has faced discrimination, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362, voice/VP/711. Multilingual operators are available. TTY users may call 800-462-7585.
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FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.
HSEMD Mission: To lead, coordinate and support homeland security and emergency management functions in order to establish sustainable communities and ensure economic opportunities for Iowa and its citizens.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. TTY users may also call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or visit SBA at www.SBA.gov/disaster.