BATON ROUGE, La. —  If you’re a Louisiana disaster survivor who applied for federal help, you may get a text from FEMA to let you know about your application status.

In an effort to enhance communication with disaster survivors, FEMA is now using texts to connect with applicants. This allows survivors to communicate quickly and easily with the agency.

You may still be contacted through email or telephone if you chose one of those as your preferred communication method when you applied for federal help.

You may then check your application’s status by going online to disasterassistance.gov or downloading and using the FEMA app and then logging into your account.  You may also call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use TTY, call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) call 800-621-3362. You may also use these resources to update your contact information.
Just ask if you require additional communication assistance. FEMA has access to foreign language and sign language interpreters and can provide materials in Braile, large print and electronic formats.

Remember never to provide personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers to anybody. FEMA only requests this information when you first apply for federal disaster assistance. FEMA inspectors only require verification of identity.