BRANDON, Fla. — Those who felt the impacts of Hurricane Ian firsthand have an upcoming deadline to apply for help.
Homeowners and renters in Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns or Volusia counties who were left with damage or loss from Ian have until next week to apply for federal disaster assistance.
The deadline to apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is Jan. 12.
Here's a breakdown of several ways to register:
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The Helpline is available daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Help is available in most languages.
- Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish).
- Download the FEMA mobile app for smartphones.
- Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). Several DRCs are operating throughout Florida’s disaster-damaged counties. To find one close to you, go online to: DRC Locator or floridadisaster.org, or text DRC along with your zip code to 43362.
"If eligible, FEMA disaster assistance may include financial assistance for temporary housing while you are unable to live in your primary home, such as rental assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs; funds to homeowners, to help repair or replace disaster caused damage or loss to their primary residence, including privately-owned access routes, such as driveways, roads, or bridges; and funds for disaster-caused expenses and serious needs, such as repair or replacement of personal property and vehicle, funds for moving and storage, medical, dental, child care and other pre-approved miscellaneous items," a news release from FEMA explains.
Anyone wanting to apply for disaster assistance should have their social security number, pre-disaster address of the primary residence, name of all occupants of the pre-disaster household, types of insurance coverage, current telephone number and mailing address along with their bank account and routing numbers ready for their registration.
"Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster," FEMA leaders explain in the news release. "The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts."
For the latest information on Florida's recovery from Hurricane Ian and Nicole, click here.