If you’ve applied for FEMA assistance to help cover the cost of repairing your storm-damaged home or replace personal property, FEMA will ask you to prove you owned or rented your home at the time of the March 24-25 tornadoes. FEMA recently expanded the list of accepted documents to make it easier for survivors.
Home Ownership
To prove ownership, you can provide FEMA with at least one of the following documents:
- Deed or title
- Home purchase contract
- Mortgage documentation
- Homeowners insurance documentation
- Last will and testament (and death certificate) naming applicant heir to the property
- Property tax receipt (or tax bill certificate)
- Manufactured home certificate of title
- Receipts for major repairs or maintenance may be acceptable if no other documentation exists.
Rental Property/Occupancy
To prove your primary residence was rental property, provide FEMA with at least one of these documents:
- Lease or housing agreement
- Rent receipts
- Pay stub
- Utility bill (electric, water/sewer, etc.)
- Driver’s license, state issued identification card, or voter registration card
- Bank or credit card statement
- Other “official” document that contains your name and address
The fastest and easiest way to send FEMA your Proof of Ownership or Occupancy documents is to upload them to your online FEMA account at DisasterAssistance.gov. If you like to talk with someone to walk you through this process, visit a Disaster Recovery Center, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, or talk with a Disaster Survivor Assistance specialist; team members are going door-to-door in many communities.
For the latest information on recovery from Mississippi tornadoes, visit March 24 2023 Severe Weather Disaster Information - MEMA (msema.org) and 4697 | FEMA.gov. Follow FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.