Understanding FEMA Aid Following Hurricane Ian
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to help residents and families throughout much of Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina recover from the storm.
Government officials have allocated over $190 million in federal disaster assistance to help the more than 127,000 households damaged by Hurricane Ian. In addition, FEMA and its state partners are in the process of opening additional disaster recovery centers and deploying hundreds of disaster survivor assistance specialists.
What Assistance Is Available?
There are many ways for those impacted by Hurricane Ian to access government assistance programs, such as the following:
Hotel and motel costs
Home inspections
Disaster loans
Advance payments for insured residents
Reimbursement for hurricane supplies or precautions (e.g., sandbags, plastic sheeting, lumber, storage)
Roof installations via Operation Blue Roof
Who Is Eligible for Assistance?
Eligibility for specific types of FEMA’s public assistance programs may depend on a person’s county of residence.
As of Oct. 10, residents of the following counties across the three states are eligible for the following levels of aid:
Individual assistance:
Florida—Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia
North Carolina—None
South Carolina—None
Public Assistance Debris (Category A):
Florida—Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia
North Carolina—None
South Carolina—None
Public Assistance Emergency Protective Measures (Category B, including direct federal assistance):
Florida—All counties and the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes of Florida
North Carolina—Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Cleveland, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson, Yadkin, Yancey and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina
South Carolina—Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg and York
Public Assistance Permanent Work (Categories C–G):
Florida—Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia
North Carolina—None
South Carolina—None
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Program—All municipalities
Damage assessments are still being conducted in some areas to determine if further assistance is needed. Visit www.fema.gov/assistance to learn more about what these categories entail.
What’s Next?
Those with insurance should work through their providers initially, but FEMA may be able to fill gaps for uncovered losses. Uninsured residents and businesses are also being encouraged to register for assistance.
Visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 to apply for aid.
This article is intended for informational purposes only. © 2022 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.