Homeowners and renters in Orange County with uninsured or underinsured damage or loss from Hurricane Ida now have until Monday, Jan. 31, to apply for FEMA disaster assistance.
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing and essential home repairs as well as other serious disaster-related needs such as personal property, medical and dental expenses, transportation, childcare, and moving and storage expenses.
If you were affected by the storm, which struck Sept. 1-3, you should apply to FEMA even if you have insurance, but first file a claim with your insurance provider. Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.
Applicants are required to inform FEMA of all insurance coverage including flood, homeowners and vehicle. Insured applicants must provide documentation that identifies their insurance settlements or benefits before FEMA will consider their eligibility for categories of assistance that may be covered by private insurance.
Because Orange County was a late addition to the federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Ida in New York, residents have 60 days – until Jan. 31 -- to apply for disaster assistance.
However, residents of the Bronx, Brooklyn (Kings County), Queens, Staten Island (Richmond County), Dutchess, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester counties which were designated earlier, have until Tuesday, Jan. 4, to apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. Those who have already applied need not apply again.
To apply for FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Helpline operators are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
You can also visit a Disaster Recovery Center and meet in person with FEMA staff and representatives of other federal and state agencies who can provide information about disaster assistance. To find a recovery center near you, visit fema.gov/locations/new%20york#drc.
For official information on New York’s recovery effort, visit fema.gov/disaster/4615. Follow FEMA on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion2 and at facebook.com/fema.