- Eligible survivors and households whose homes were damaged from flooding caused by Hurricane Florence but are still habitable may receive a single $500 payment for the cost of cleaning and removing contaminated floor coverings.
- This Clean and Removal Assistance (CRA) is intended to prevent additional loss and address potential health and safety concerns.
- Clean and Removal Assistance is awarded as a fixed, one-time payment per household. This amount represents the average cost of cleaning, sanitizing and/or removing carpet in a flooded dwelling in designated North Carolina counties.
- CRA payments are part of FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program. Applicants must register for disaster assistance and meet all eligibility requirements. An inspector must verify that floodwater caused the damage to at least one item in the home.
- All the following conditions must be met to receive CRA: o The individual or household must register for disaster assistance with FEMA.
- The pre-disaster primary residence must be in a county designated for Individual Assistance.
- The applicant has recorded at least one real property line item with the cause of damage as "flood."
- The pre-disaster primary residence was not covered by flood insurance or mobile home insurance at the time of the disaster, and
- The applicant received a denial for Home Repair Assistance stating "Ineligible – Home is Safe to Occupy."
- If the applicant is later determined to be eligible for a home repair grant, the $500 CRA payment will be deducted from the home repair grant.
- Individual property owners will be responsible for performing or contracting for services to remove contaminants from and disinfect surface areas of their home that have been affected by floodwater.
- Funds are delivered via direct deposit or paper check payable to the eligible applicant.
- FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.
Take Pictures and Keep Receipts
If possible, take pictures of all damage before making repairs. Keep receipts for all out-of-pocket repair expenses to show to the FEMA inspector. This will ensure the inspector has the most accurate analysis of damage and expenses to report.
Registering for Disaster Assistance:
If your home is not safe, sanitary or accessible and you do not have insurance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 (TTY call 800-462-7585) to assess your disaster-caused needs and to identify your potential eligibility for federal, state or voluntary programs. In-person American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available by request by calling or texting 202-655-8824. (If possible, please allow 24 hours to schedule an interpreter).
At FEMA, we want to make sure that every disaster survivor has equal access to disaster information and assistance. All FEMA disaster recovery centers are physically accessible. All recovery centers offer effective communication options including: captioned phones, iPads with video remote interpreting and on-site American Sign Language interpreters upon request. FEMA documents are available in both Braille and large print. If you need an accommodation or assistance due to a disability, please notify FEMA staff at the time of registration or anytime throughout the assistance process. FEMA assistance will not affect other benefits such as food stamps, Medicaid or Social Security benefits.
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