The mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build
sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to,
recover from and mitigate all hazards in times of a presidentially declared event.
Eligible disaster survivors can receive disaster assistance from various programs,
but to do this you as a survivor must first register for assistance with
FEMA as well as manage your application. This video will explain how you complete
registration, the multiple methods for registration offered to you and
additional tools available for monitoring your disaster assistance applications.
The damage dwelling registration intake is the process you take to register as a disaster
survivor with your specific information into FEMA's information systems database,
so you can obtain the needed assistance to recover from a disaster event.
FEMA has created multiple methods to register for assistance making it an easy and accessible
process. FEMA also has developed online tools that make it easy for you to access your account
to see real-time status of your assistance Through this you and other survivors are
able to continue to manage your registration, upload documents, change contact information
and track actions of your account. Disaster assistance is granted as resources
or in monetary form to individuals and households for losses that are not covered by insurance.
It is only available in designated counties with federally declared disasters and is intended to
help with critical expenses not to restore a property to its pre-disaster condition.
Assistance varies with each disaster event and is determined by FEMA's individuals and households
program based on the degree of damage, available funds and other existing assistance programs.
Examples of this include: housing assistance, which is provided for home repair, replacement
temporary housing and in rare instances permanent construction, and other needs assistance,
which addresses essential household items necessary expenses and serious needs that
cannot be met through other forms of disaster assistance or insurance,
like medical dental and funeral expenses. With proper preparation, registration
intake takes 18 to 20 minutes. To ensure that this process is smooth and efficient
there are responsibilities for both you the disaster survivor and the FEMA representative.
To best prepare for registration there is important information you need to have on hand:
social security number, pre-disaster damaged address, current mailing address, current
telephone number, where you can be contacted, insurance information, total household annual
income, description of losses that were caused by the disaster, and if you want disaster assistance
funds transferred directly into your bank account, your bank routing and account numbers.
Good afternoon disaster assistance my name is Stephanie, how may i help you?
Hi, my name is Rosa and I would like to apply for disaster assistance.
What state did your damage occur? Texas.
You are responsible for applying during the proper time frame as well as providing
accurate and truthful information to FEMA. If the information provided is not accurate,
it can hold up assistance provisions and delay your recovery process.
The FEMA agent is responsible for correctly asking the pertinent questions during the application
process and correctly entering the information. As part of the process the agent can refer you
to other agencies or assistance programs. The privacy act of 1974 protects your rights as to
how FEMA uses and shares your information. At the beginning of this process the FEMA
agent must ask if you have listened to the privacy act. If you have not
the agent is required to read it word for word. Hearing the privacy act ensures that you know
how your personal information will be collected used and protected by FEMA and fellow stakeholders
After a state tribe or territory receives a presidential declaration for a disaster
and individual assistance programs are designated a standard chain of events occurs for survivors
in the declared areas. Disaster survivors first
apply for assistance from the Individuals And Households Program, and if applicable,
FEMA performs an inspection to verify disaster related damage and then eligibility is determined.
You have typically a 60-day period to register for assistance. For some events, states will
request an extended registration period. If you are unable to apply during the
60-day period you may be able to submit a late registration; however, FEMA will
need to know the reasons for applying late to determine if the registration will be accepted.
It is important to register during the open registration period,
because until the late registration is reviewed and approved your application is on hold,
and you are not able to receive any assistance. There are a number of options when it comes to
registering for disaster assistance in your area. There may be disaster recovery centers (DRC),
disaster survivor assistance (DSA) teams, or FEMA core volunteers to assist you, but those may not
always be deployed or available in all areas. However, technology has opened the possibilities
for a greater ease and efficiency to register for disaster assistance.
You can register online using a computer tablet or smartphone at disasterassistance.gov
or by phone at 1-800-621-3362; if you use 711 or VRS video relay service, call 1-800-621-3362.
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 1-800-462-7585
during the registration intake period. Disaster survivor assistance teams canvas affected
neighborhoods to help you register and provide information on disaster assistance programs.
The DSA teams are able to address your immediate needs by establishing a timely presence provide
information and services specific for you and offer referrals to community partners.
DSA crews make every effort to complete the registration intake process during the
initial interaction with you, but if you are not able to complete the registration process,
DSA crews provide alternative options for completion of the application or refer you
to the closest disaster recovery center during an open enrollment period of a disaster event.
Disaster recovery centers provide you the opportunity to talk face-to-face
with specialists from FEMA state tribe and other stakeholders
depending on the type and number of people affected by the disaster.
DRC's may only be open for a short period of time after a disaster. You should check
the FEMA website (fema.gov) or call FEMA to verify DRC locations and hours of operations
to locate a DRC. A survivor can use the DRC locator on disasterassistance.gov or text
DRC and their zip code to FEMA 43362. At the DRC you are able to meet with professionals
who are able to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available.
Some of the services may include guidance regarding disaster recovery, clarification
of any written correspondence received, housing assistance and rental resource information,
answers to questions, resolutions to problems, and referrals to agencies that may provide further
assistance, like the small business administration program, information crisis counseling, disaster
legal services and disaster unemployment. DRC's include staffing and resources to
provide effective communication access for individuals with disabilities.
DRCs have accessible parking entrances restrooms and alternate evacuation routes.
DRCs provide assistive devices and services for your preferred methods of communication.
Communications include sign language and foreign language interpretive services.
Communication devices available include: magnifying readers,
tablets, caption phones, video remote interpreting (VRI) and assistive listening devices.
You can register online at disasterassistance.gov or via a web-enabled smartphone.
You may also call 1-800-621-3362 and people with speech or hearing disabilities can call
1-800-462-7585 for tty or use 711 relay or video relay services at 1-800-621-3362.
The FEMA 1-800-621-3362 telephone services standard hours of operation
in the contiguous United States are from 7 a.m to 10 p.m local time, 7 days a week.
You may also choose to receive SMS text messaging,
which allows you to receive notifications to smart devices regarding your FEMA application.
The official FEMA number displayed on the device is 43362 and the notification will
contain the last four digits of the FEMA registration number at the beginning of the
message. Messages regarding updates will not include specific information about categories
amount of assistance or additional information needed to process the request for assistance.
You can access your account online or call FEMA and speak to the helpline for assistance.
You will be responsible for data charges from your carrier; however,
the service itself is free. You can reply STOP to unsubscribe from the service at any time.
Disasters affect the lives of thousands of disaster survivors
every year. To ensure that you can return to a safe secure and functional dwelling,
you need to apply for disaster assistance in a timely manner,
FEMA has developed several methods to make sure registration intake can be done with ease and
efficiency. Furthermore the online capabilities and security of disasterassistance.gov
help you manage your application after registration to improve delivery of assistance.
For additional information on registration intake visit disasterassistance.gov or FEMA.gov