FEMA Assistance Available for West Virginia Survivors following April Storms

FEMA Assistance Available for West Virginia Survivors following April Storms

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – If you are a West Virginian who sustained damage from severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, flooding, landslides, and mudslides from April 2-6, 2024, you may be eligible for disaster assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. 

Residents of Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marshall, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Wayne, and Wetzel counties are eligible to apply for assistance from FEMA to help with costs from damage and losses caused by the April 2-6, 2024, storms. Applicants may qualify for rental assistance, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other eligible expenses related to storm damage. FEMA assistance may be available to residents with and without insurance coverage. 

How to Reach FEMA
You can register with FEMA in several ways, including: online at DisasterAssistance.gov, downloading the FEMA App for mobile devices, or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. To view an accessible video about how to apply, visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.

Displacement Assistance or Lodging Expense Reimbursement

You may be eligible for either Displacement Assistance or Lodging Expenses Reimbursement for immediate housing needs required in the immediate aftermath of the severe storms. 

Displacement Assistance is a one-time payment. FEMA may provide up to two weeks of funds for temporary lodging at a hotel, motel, or the home of friends or family. Alternatively, FEMA may reimburse out-of-pocket, temporary lodging expenses through Lodging Expenses Reimbursement.

Rental Assistance for Temporary Housing
If you currently reside in Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Kanawha, Lincoln, Marshall, Nicholas, Ohio, Putnam, Wayne, and Wetzel counties and suffered damage to your primary residence, FEMA may be able to provide rent for a temporary place to live while you are displaced. Rental assistance is intended to cover monthly rent, security deposit and cost of essential utilities such as electricity and water.

Major Repairs and Out-of-Pocket Expenses
FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program assistance is intended to help jumpstart your recovery. Here are some examples of basic needs:

• Home Repair Assistance may be provided to homeowners to repair the structural parts of your home. This includes windows, doors, floors, walls, ceilings, cabinets, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC), utilities (electrical, plumbing and gas systems) and entrance ways. This includes assistance for accessibility-related property and items such as exterior ramps, grab bars, and paved paths. FEMA may also reimburse for the actual cost to repair or replace your furnace, private well and septic system damaged or destroyed by the disaster.
• Other Needs Assistance may be provided to homeowners and renters for eligible uninsured property or items your insurance doesn’t cover, such as:
  • Serious Needs Assistance foressential items, including water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, diapers, consumable medical supplies, durable medical equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation.
  • Personal Property Assistance: repair or replacement of household items that are necessary for daily living including household appliances such as a refrigerator, bedroom furniture, a household computer, wheelchairs or items needed for a member of the household with a disability, and tools and electronics required for school or work including for those who are self-employed.
  • Medical and dental expenses; funeral and burial costs.
  • Personally owned, disaster-damaged cars and trucks in need of replacement or repairs.
  • The purchase or rental expense of generators used at a primary residence to power necessary equipment for an existing medical condition.

 

For more information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit emd.wv.gov, West Virginia Emergency Management Division Facebook page, www.fema.gov/disaster/4783 and www.facebook.com/FEMA.

 

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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

 

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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 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).