After the President approved Georgia’s Major Disaster Declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Individual Assistance (IA) program is now available for those affected in approved Counties. For more questions or assistance, please visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Hotline at 1-800-621-3362. You may also download the FEMA app here to submit your application.
How FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program Works:
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program offers Federal funding for individuals impacted by natural disasters, including for those who incur housing costs, food costs, and for other vital supplies. This may include:
- Rental Assistance: Money you can use to rent housing if you are displaced from your home because of the disaster.
- Lodging Expense Reimbursement: Money to reimburse you for emergency lodging expenses, such as hotel or motel, if you are displaced from your home because of the disaster.
- Home Repair or Replacement: Money to help you repair or replace your home damaged by the disaster. The money can also help with pre-existing damage to parts of your home where the disaster caused further damage.
- Accessibility Needs: Money to help survivors with a disability with specific repairs to make sure their home is accessible, such as exterior ramp, grab bars, and paved path to the home entrance
- Immediate Needs: Money to help you pay for immediate needs such as water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding equipment, diapers, personal hygiene items and fuels 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 other options while you look for a rental unit.
- Personal Property: Money to help you repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, and a personal or family computer damaged by the disaster. This can also include money for books, uniforms, tools, additional computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment.
- Medical/Dental: Money to help you pay for 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.
- Childcare: Money to help you pay for increased or unplanned for childcare expenses 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.
How to Apply:
- Check Eligibility: Visit disasterassistance.gov and click “let’s get started” on the homepage to check if you are eligible.
- Gather Personal Information: You’ll need to have as much of the following info ready as you can: Home, mailing, and email addresses; phone number; Social Security number (SSN); banking and insurance info.
- Fill Out the Application: Enter as much detail as you can. You can go back to your account later to enter anything you don’t have handy now.
- Review & Submit: Check what you’ve entered, make changes if you need to, and send your application to FEMA. Remember to save and keep your Application ID. You’ll need it anytime you talk with FEMA.
What Happens After You Apply:
- FEMA Reviews Your Application: If FEMA can’t qualify you based on your application alone, they may request more info or to inspect your home.
- Check Your Email: FEMA will email you when you have messages on your account.
- Check Your Status: You can sign in to your account at any time to check the status of your application.
- Get Payment: If you qualify, FEMA will send a payment using the method you choose, either through direct deposit or a check by mail.
