Things New Jersey Hurricane Sandy Survivors Should Know

TRENTON, N.J. — Here is some helpful information New Jerseyans should know as they continue their recoveries from Hurricane Sandy.

• There are three ways to reach the Federal Emergency Management Agency in New Jersey:
  • Visit online at DisasterAssistance.gov or m.fema.gov with a smartphone.
  • Call 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585.
  • Visit one of nine disaster recovery centers. Locations can be found by visiting FEMA.gov/DRC.
• Survivors should apply for federal disaster assistance even if they have insurance. Assistance may pay for repairs and temporary housing that insurance doesn’t cover.
• The deadline to register with FEMA and return completed SBA loan applications is Monday, April 1.
• Federal disaster assistance can include rental assistance, grants to replace personal property or low-interest disaster home loans from the Small Business Administration.
• Renters and homeowners can apply.
• Only a survivor whose primary residence was damaged and was living in it at the time of the storm is eligible to receive assistance for housing needs.
• FEMA disaster assistance is not income sensitive. Income does not affect eligibility.
• FEMA disaster assistance does not affect other government programs like Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or pensions.
• Accepting disaster assistance does not keep other survivors from receiving it.
• Disaster assistance from FEMA is not taxable.
• Non U.S. citizens may be eligible for FEMA assistance if they are lawful permanent residents or otherwise have legal status.
• Registering with the American Red Cross or calling 2-1-1 is not the same as registering with FEMA. Survivors must register with FEMA to be considered for federal disaster assistance.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest disaster home loans to homeowners and renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged property. SBA also offers loans to businesses to repair and replace disaster-damaged property and offers economic injury disaster loans to assist with working capital.
• The SBA can be contacted by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
• Survivors who have questions about flood insurance claims and the appeals process can call 888-379-9531.
• Visit Region2Coastal.com for information about advisory base flood elevations.

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.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema. Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.