FEMA disaster assistance may provide funds to homeowners and renters for serious needs, basic home repair, rental of temporary housing and other uninsured expenses resulting from Hurricane Helene. FEMA assistance is not a replacement for insurance.

Housing Assistance

• Home Repair or Replacement: Money to help you repair or replace your home damaged by the disaster. For example, this may include addressing mold caused by the disaster, money to repair or replace damaged wells, septic systems or privately owned roads and bridges, or money for hazard mitigation measures. The money can also help with preexisting damage to parts of your home where the disaster caused further damage.
• Accessibility Needs: Money to help those with a disability with specific repairs to make sure their home is accessible, such as an exterior ramp, grab bars and paved path to the home entrance. Repairs can be made when these items are damaged. Improvements can be made when those features were not present prior to the disaster, and they are needed due to a pre-existing disability, or a disability caused by the disaster.
• Privately-owned Roads, Bridges, Docks: Money for people whose only access to their home has been damaged by the disaster.
• Rental Assistance: Money you can use to rent housing if you are displaced from your home because of the disaster.
• Hazard Mitigation: Homeowners may receive additional funds for specific mitigation measures, such as roof repair to withstand higher wind gusts, based on the cause and amount of damage to their home. Additional funds will be provided within the award amount for homeowners determined eligible for Home Repair assistance.

Other Needs Assistance

• Serious Needs: Money to help you pay for lifesaving and life-sustaining items, including water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation.
• Displacement: Money to help with immediate housing needs if you cannot return to your home because of the disaster. The money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends or for other options while you look for temporary housing.
• Personal Property: Money to help you repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, a personal or family computer damaged by the disaster, books, uniforms, tools, additional computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment.
• Medical/Dental: Money to help you pay for medical expenses because the disaster caused an injury or illness. This money can also be used to help replace medical/dental equipment, breastfeeding equipment, or prescribed medicine damaged or lost because of the disaster.
• Funeral: Money to help you pay for funeral or reburial expenses caused by the disaster.
• Child Care: Money to help you pay for increased or new childcare expenses caused by the disaster.
• Assistance for Miscellaneous Items: Money to help you pay for specific items that you purchased or rented after the disaster to assist with recovery. The miscellaneous items may be used for gaining access to your property or for cleaning efforts caused by the disaster.
• Transportation: Money to help you repair or replace a vehicle damaged by the disaster when you don’t have another vehicle you can use.
• Moving and Storage Expenses: Money to help you move and store personal property from your home to prevent additional damage, usually while you are making repairs to your home or moving to a new place due to the disaster.
• Group Flood Insurance Policy: If your home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and you have flood damage caused by the disaster, FEMA may purchase a Group Flood Insurance Policy on your behalf that gives you three years of coverage.

 Apply to FEMA

Visit DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362.