FEMA Helpline Still Available to Assist Hurricane Sandy Survivors in Connecticut

WINDSOR, Conn. — FEMA’s registration Helpline is still available for Connecticut residents who suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy.

Although all FEMA-State Disaster Recovery Centers in Connecticut have closed, the Helpline remains available for survivors to register for federal disaster assistance. Sandy survivors who have already registered for aid can call to ask questions, update contact information or check the status of their applications.

Disaster survivors can call 800-621-3362 to register for assistance, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those who use TTY can call 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators can be reached after the initial English message concludes.

The deadline to register with FEMA has been extended to Jan. 28.

Disaster survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for disaster assistance; flood insurance claims are handled separately.

As of Dec. 28, 2012, more than 2,500 Connecticut residents have been approved for federal disaster assistance. FEMA offers financial help to survivors of federally-declared disasters to cover uninsured losses and critical expenses which cannot be covered by other means.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status.  If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

FEMA’s mission 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.