ST. CLAIR COUNTY, IL. – Today, December 22, is the last day to apply for FEMA disaster assistance for homeowners and renters in St. Clair County. If you had property damage or losses caused by the July 25-28 severe storms and flooding, or if you had to relocate because your apartment complex was damaged, you may be eligible for federal disaster assistance.
There are several ways you can apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
- Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- Download and use the FEMA mobile app to apply
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to apply
- If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. The Helpline is open seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Press 2 for Spanish or 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
The Disaster Recovery Center in East St. Louis closed permanently yesterday, but you can still apply online or through the FEMA Helpline.
Have the following information when you apply or check the status of your application:
- Phone number where you can be contacted
- Address at the time of the flooding
- Address where you are staying now
- Social Security Number of one member of the household
- Basic list of damage and losses
- Bank information if you choose direct deposit for any FEMA money you may be awarded
- Insurance Information if you have insurance, including the policy number
If you have homeowners or renters flood insurance, you should file an insurance claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all of your damage expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.
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 been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
For disaster updates from FEMA, follow @FEMAregion5 on Twitter, and turn on mobile notifications. Visit the disaster webpage at fema.gov/disaster/4676.
For disaster updates from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), follow @ReadyIllinois on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and turn on mobile notifications. http://www.illinois.gov/iema/ continues to be a go-to, single source to help Illinois residents easily find information and disaster-related resources.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.