If you lost access to water because Tropical Storm Helene caused damage to your private well or septic system, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance.
FEMA may be able to pay or reimburse the survivor for the:
- Cost of a professional, licensed technician to visit your home and prepare an estimate for the repairs or replacement of your disaster-damaged systems, and
- Repair or replacement cost of your septic system or well, which typically are not covered by homeowner’s insurance.
At the time of your home inspection, let the FEMA inspector know that you have a private well and/or septic system that may have been damaged by the storm.
If you have already had an inspection and damage to the well or septic system wasn’t reported, visit a Disaster Recovery Center or contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to learn how to amend your application.
To apply for FEMA assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, visit a Disaster Recovery Center, apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or call toll-free 800-621-3362.
Boil water advisories are still in effect for some impacted areas. The Virginia Department of Health webpage on Hurricane Helene Post-Storm Response has information about current Boil Water Advisories, how to boil water for safe drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, and how to clean up a well.
For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page, fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.
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To apply for FEMA assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or download and apply on the FEMA App. 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). Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.