After the Storm: How Texans Can Replace Lost or Damaged Documents

AUSTIN, Texas – Disasters such as floods and tornadoes commonly result in the loss of important documents. While it can seem like a daunting task, the good news for Texans is that many official papers and vital records are relatively easy to replace.

Survivors of October’s severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding, who have registered and applied for federal disaster assistance, should keep their personal information updated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) throughout the recovery process. Supplying copies of important documentation is a necessary part of registering with FEMA. Applicants should share any change of address, telephone and bank account numbers and insurance information with FEMA to keep that information up to date.

Check the list below to find out where to obtain official copies of your lost or damaged documents.

SNAP Card (Food Stamps):
Phone: 800-777-7328
Website: https://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/LoneStar/EBT/EBThowto.html

Green Cards:
Phone: 800-375-5283
Website: http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-card

Birth and death certificates:
Phone: 888-963-7111
Website: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/default.shtm

Texas Driver License:
Phone: 512-424-2600
Website: https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/replace.htm

Bank Checks, ATM/Debit Cards, or Safe Deposit Boxes:
Phone: 877-275-3342
Website: www.fdic.gov

Credit Cards: Contact the issuing institution:

Texans in the following counties may register for disaster assistance for damage or losses sustained during the period Oct. 22 to Oct. 31: Bastrop, Brazoria, Caldwell, Cameron, Comal, Galveston, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Liberty, Navarro, Travis, Willacy and Wilson.

Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362. TTY users should call 800-462-7585. The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

For more information on Texas recovery, visit the disaster web page at www.fema.gov/disaster/4245, Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the Texas Division of Emergency Management website, https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

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 SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover 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. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

Visit www.fema.gov/texas-disaster-mitigation for publications and reference material on rebuilding and repairing safer and stronger.

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After the Storm: How Texans Can Replace Lost or Damaged Documents

After the Disaster: Replacing Lost or Damaged Documents

Disasters such as floods and tornadoes commonly result in the loss of important documents, but Texans who lost official and important papers have ways to replace them:

SNAP Card (Food Stamps):
Phone: 800-777-7328
Website: https://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/providers/LoneStar/EBT/EBThowto.html

Green Cards:
Phone: 800-375-5283
Website: http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-card

Birth and death certificates:
Phone: 888-963-7111
Website: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/reqproc/default.shtm

Texas Driver License:
Phone: 512-424-2600
Website: https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/replace.htm

Bank Checks, ATM/Debit Cards, or Safe Deposit Boxes:
Phone: 877-275-3342
Website: www.fdic.gov

Credit Cards: Contact the issuing institution:

Credit Reports: Equifax, Experian or TransUnion
Phone: 877-322-8228
Website:  www.annualcreditreport.com

Social Security Card: 
Phone: 800-772-1213
Website:  www.ssa.gov

Fraud alerts or a credit freeze:
Phone: 877-438-4338
Website: http://www.texasfightsidtheft.gov/

Medicare Cards:
Phone: 800-772-1213
Website: www.socialsecurity.gov/medicarecard/

Passport: 
Phone: 202-955-0430 or 1-877-487-2778
Website: http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/lost-stolen.html  

U.S. Savings Bonds: 
Phone: 800-722-2678 or 800-553-2663
Website: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/

Tax Returns: 
Phone: 800-829-1040
Website: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

Military Records: 
Phone: 866-272-6272
Website: www.archives.gov/contact/

Vehicle Titles:
Phone: 888-368-4689
Website: http://txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/get-a-copy-of-your-title

Insurance Documents:
Phone: Check with your own insurance agent  
Website: http://insurance.lawyers.com/natural-disasters/replacing-personal-documents-lost-in-a-disaster.html

Real Estate and Property Records (Mortgage Documents, Deeds, etc.):
Phone: Contact your own agent
Website: http://propertydeeds.org/lost-property-deed-replacement-procedure/

Medical and Prescription Records:
Call your own doctor; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.

Replace a Texas Marriage Record or Certificate:
Website: General http://texasmarriagelicense.org/replace-marriage-record.html
Website: Issuing Clerk of Court http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/vs/field/localremotedistrict.shtm

Proof of Address/Residency:
Website: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/internetforms/Forms/DL-57.pdf

National Archives Records:
Website: General http://www.archives.gov/preservation/records-emergency/public.html
Website: Saving family records http://www.archives.gov/preservation/disaster-response/guidelines.html

NOTE: FEMA does not endorse any specific products or services.

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After the Disaster: Replacing Lost or Damaged Documents

Replacing Lost Or Damaged Records Part Of New Jersey Recovery

TRENTON, N.J. — Replacing lost or damaged records is an important step in recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

While it can seem like a challenging task, the good news is that many vital records are relatively easy to replace. Check the list below to find out where to obtain official copies of your lost or damaged documents.

Insurance: Contact your insurance agent for copies of your policies, recent billing records and cash-value statements.

Financial Records: Contact your bank, credit union, credit card company, brokerage firm and credit bureau for copies of account statements, loan applications, credit reports and other records.

Social Security Cards: Find the location of the nearest Social Security Administration office by calling 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) or check online at www.SocialSecurity.gov.  To obtain a replacement Social Security card, you will need to show proof of identity such as a driver’s license, state-issued identification card or U.S. passport.

Birth, Death or Marriage Certificates: Call the New Jersey Vital Records bureau at 866-649-8726 (toll-free) or 609-292-4087. Information on how to order replacement records is also available online at state.nj.us/health/vital/gen.shtml or by mail at:

State of New Jersey

Vital Records Bureau

P.O. Box 370

Trenton, NJ 08625-0370.

Divorce Decrees: Call the Superior Court of New Jersey Records Center at 609-421-6100.

Savings Bonds: If your savings bonds have been lost, visit treasurydirect.gov to download PDF Form 1048. Mail the completed form to:

Bureau of the Public Debt

P.O. Box 7012

Parkersburg, WV 26106-7012.

Federal Tax Returns: Visit irs.gov for information on obtaining expedited copies of past tax returns and extended tax deadlines for business owners impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

State Tax Returns: To order copies of your state tax returns, call the New Jersey Division of Taxation at 609-292-6400 or visit state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/phonenos.shtml

Motor Vehicle Titles:  Visit any New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission agency in the state to obtain duplicates of your driver’s license, motor vehicle title or registration.  You will need several proofs of identification. Call the DMV toll-free in New Jersey at 888-486-3339 (TTY 609-292-5120) for detailed instructions or visit the agency online at nj.gov/mvc/ for further information.

Green Cards: Contact U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services online at uscis.gov to fill out an online application to replace your permanent resident card or download a mail-in form

Voter Registration: Contact your county Superintendent of Elections to replace your voter registration card.

Damaged Money:  Contact the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing online at  moneyfactory.gov/damagedcurrencyclaim.html  or call them at (866) 575-2361 (toll-free) or (202) 874-2141 for information on replacing  your hurricane-damaged currency.

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.

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Replacing Lost Or Damaged Records Part Of New Jersey Recovery

Helping Hurricane Isaac Survivors Find Copies of Lost Records for Disaster Recovery

BATON ROUGE, La. – Recovering from a disaster can be a daunting experience, and it can be even more overwhelming when you have lost important records needed for your disaster recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers the following contact information for Louisianians who have to replace important documents that may be required for identification purposes or to show proof of occupancy, such as birth certificates, social security cards, drivers’ licenses, state-issued identification cards, tax bills, deeds, mortgage payment receipts, insurance policies or utility bills:

  • Louisiana Vital Records: For birth, death, marriage or other vital records call the Vital Statistics Records Office at 1-504-593-5100, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or visit http://www.vitalrec.com/la.html for more information.
  • Drivers’ license and/or state-issued identification card: Call the Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles at 1-225-925-6146, Monday through Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visit http://www.expresslane.org/.
  • Social Security card: Call the U.S. Social Security office at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or visit http://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber for more information.
  • Federal tax records: Call the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or visit http://www.irs.gov for more information.

You also can call your local utility company, financial institution or insurance provider and speak with the customer service unit for copies of your most recent records. The utility company should have your most recent utility bill; your bank, credit union or savings and loan should provide you with copies of your bank statements, loan applications and mortgage payment receipts; and your insurance company should have your insurance policies, recent billing statements and cash-value statements.

Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. They may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

HELPING HURRICANE ISAAC SURVIVORS FIND COPIES OF LOST RECORDS FOR DISASTER RECOVERY

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.

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Helping Hurricane Isaac Survivors Find Copies of Lost Records for Disaster Recovery