CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Twelve teams of disaster survivor assistance (DSA) specialists are now working in affected areas across West Virginia, helping survivors of the devastating floods, mudslides and landslides that began June 22.

The teams are made up of disaster specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Using the latest mobile technology, DSA teams can register survivors with disaster assistance, update their records and make referrals to whole community partners. Team members tailor the information and services they provide to the individual survivor’s needs.

Like all FEMA field personnel, team members carry official identification. Residents are encouraged to ask for official identification before providing personal information.

In addition to the registration opportunity offered by recovery teams, survivors can register for assistance by the following methods:

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Call 800-621-3362. TTY users can call 800-462-7585. Those who use 711 or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362 to register. 

By registering with FEMA, survivors may qualify for federal disaster assistance such as:

• Grants to rent a temporary place to live.
• Grants for essential home repairs not covered by insurance.
• Grants for disaster-related needs not covered by insurance — such as medical, dental, transportation, funeral expenses, moving and storage fees, personal property loss and child care.

Registering with FEMA is also the first step in qualifying for help from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Low-interest disaster loans from SBA are available to businesses of all sizes (including landlords), homeowners, renters, and private non-profit organizations to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance. Low-interest disaster loans help fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property.  Economic injury disaster loans are available to businesses and private non-profits to assist with working capital.

Business owners can find an electronic loan application on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Questions can be directed to the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955/ (TTY) 800-877-8339 or by visiting sba.gov.

West Virginians seeking information about disaster-related services and unmet needs should call West Virginia 211, a statewide information and referral service. Contact 211 for help finding food, childcare, crisis counseling, and many other resources in your local community.

The West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) has set up a hotline for flood survivors needing free cleanup services: 800-451-1954. Volunteers who wish to help with flood response and recovery may sign up at www.volunteerwv.org or www.wvvoad.org. To make a financial donation, visit https://wvvoad.communityos.org/cms/home

To find current shelter locations for displaced survivors who need a place to stay overnight, please call the American Red Cross at 800-RED-CROSS or download the FEMA App on a mobile device.