Four More North Carolina Counties May Apply for Disaster Assistance

RALEIGH, N.C. – Homeowners, renters and business owners in Bertie, Johnston, Wayne and Wilson counties may apply for federal disaster assistance for Hurricane Matthew damage and losses in North Carolina.

The 10 counties already eligible to apply for assistance under FEMA’s Individual and Households Program are Beaufort, Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Edgecombe, Hoke, Lenoir, Nash, Pitt and Robeson counties. Bertie, Johnston, Wayne, and Wilson counties were added Oct. 11.

Storm damage and losses from the hurricane and flooding must have occurred beginning Oct. 4 and continuing.

Survivors are encouraged to register with FEMA as soon as possible.  If you have phone and/or internet access, you may register in one of the following ways:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov

• Download the FEMA Mobile App

• Phone 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call
  800-621-3362. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.

• The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

If you need immediate assistance, dial 2-1-1.

For those who do not have access to telephone or internet service, don’t be discouraged.  FEMA is coming to you.  Teams of FEMA survivor assistance specialists will be moving into affected communities soon to help people register for assistance.  Additionally, disaster recovery centers are being planned and will open in the near future in affected counties.

Survivors should also contact their insurance company to file an insurance claim. FEMA is unable to duplicate insurance payments. However, those without insurance or those who may be underinsured may still receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

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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 or TTY at 800-462-7585.

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.

The latest updates on road closures can be found at ReadyNC.org or by calling 5-1-1. Residents can also get real-time traffic and weather on the ReadyNC mobile app.

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