Attention, New Mexicans who suffered damage in the South Fork and Salt Fires and/or flooding. Don’t wait any longer to apply for FEMA federal disaster assistance. The deadline to apply for help is only two weeks away.
Homeowners and renters impacted by the fires and/or flood, from June 17 to Aug. 20, 2024, who live in Lincoln, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan Counties, or on the Mescalero Apache Reservation have only until Saturday, Oct. 19 to apply. The deadline to apply for a long-term, low-interest disaster loan for physical damage from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is also Oct. 19.
FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP or other federal and state benefits.
How to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance
The first step for individuals and households to receive assistance is to apply to FEMA for federal assistance. There are no costs involved to apply for, or receive, FEMA assistance. There are four ways to apply:
- Go online to disasterassistance.gov/.
- Download the FEMA App for mobile devices at fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products .
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. MT. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
- Visit the state of New Mexico/FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Horton Complex, 237 Service Road in Ruidoso. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, closed Sunday.
- For an American Sign Language (ASL) video on how to apply for assistance, visit youtube.com/watch= WZGpWI2RCNw.
For more information about FEMA’s Individual Assistance program, visit www.fema.gov/assistance/individual.