Edited: May 1, 4:10 pm EDT

As FEMA and our federal partners continue to work with the states in support of their recovery efforts, there has been a great deal of focus on the need to shelter a significant number of residents whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed by tornadoes and other severe weather.

States and non-government groups like the Red Cross are still very much involved in ensuring displaced disaster survivors are provided shelter, and sustaining those shelters with the needed supplies like food and water. We understand that many residents may be asking themselves what's next as they are confronted with the challenge of finding short-term housing and the possibility of needing long-term accommodations.

FEMA is one part of a large team that is working together to support the state in meeting its housing needs. This joint effort is comprised of housing and technical experts from the State, FEMA, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Army Corps of Engineers, Small Business Administration (SBA) and voluntary agencies. Working together, the team will partner with the state as they establish housing priorities; seeking ways to make the greatest use of existing housing resources, such as apartments and rental units; and deploying temporary housing units, if needed.

As extensive work continues to restore power, open roadways, and remove debris so that homes can begin to be repaired or rebuilt, FEMA is:

• Working with our partners at HUD to identify areas of greatest need for housing, and to identify available rental resources in impacted areas to assist families displaced by these storms to find longer-term housing solutions; 
• Working with the Army Corps of Engineers and the local communities to identify areas where the Corps could provide temporary home repairs, such as covering broken windows or holes in roofs, so that residents can move back or stay in their home for shelter until more extensive repairs can be made;
• Working with our partners at SBA to help individuals and businesses apply for low interest loans so that they can more quickly rebuild or repair their damaged homes and replace lost property; and
• Perhaps most importantly, actively taking registration information through our call centers. We have inspectors on the ground assessing the damages suffered by those who have registered, and FEMA is approving financial assistance for housing (such as rental assistance and home repair money) and financial assistance for other essential needs (such as disaster-related medical needs, replace lost clothing, furniture and other necessary items).

The first step for individuals to be considered for assistance is to register.  Our Community Relations (CR) teams are on the ground meeting with residents to explain the types of assistance that is available through the federal government and helping residents to register.  If you have questions, we encourage you speak with a CR team if they knock on your door (just remember, all FEMA staff will have FEMA identification) or call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) and press "1".

In addition to in-person CR teams, there are several options for getting help:

• registering online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov,
• registering through a web-enabled mobile device at  m.fema.gov, or 
• calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.  The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. 

FEMA has also expanded its agreement with Operation HOPE to bring financial experts in to Disaster Recovery Centers to provide guidance to disaster survivors on how to apply the funds provided by FEMA and the Small Business Administration, such as funds provided for home repair, to speed their recovery.

Since the deadly tornadoes first struck parts of the country earlier this week, the federal government has been in constant contact with all of the impacted states as they responded to and began recovery efforts from these devastating storms.

At the request of the respective governors, FEMA currently has personnel on the ground in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, and commodities strategically pre-positioned in the region to support the states.

President Obama joined Administrator Fugate, the Governor and other state and local officials on the ground in Alabama yesterday.

On Sunday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Donovan, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, Small Business Administrator Mills, and FEMA Administrator Fugate will travel to Alabama and Mississippi to survey the damage and meet with state and local officials.

Recap for Friday, April 29th

• An Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) is on the ground in Kentucky and an additional Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) arrived in Mississippi, IMATs are also on the ground in Alabama and in Georgia to assist in the coordination efforts as the states continue to respond and begin to recover from this devastating storm outbreak.
• FEMA Community Relations (CR) teams are on the ground in Georgia and Alabama to meeting with disaster survivors to explain the assistance available and to help survivors register for assistance. Additional CR teams have been deployed to Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.
• FEMA partnered with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency to create a joint Facebook page as an additional way to reach Alabama residents during the response and recovery efforts after the severe storms and tornadoes.
• A housing mission planning team is on the ground in Alabama to support the state in meeting its objectives. This team, comprised of housing and technical experts from FEMA, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Army Corps of Engineers, Small Business Administration and voluntary agencies, will assist the state-led housing task force in establishing housing priorities; seeking ways to maximize housing resources, such as apartments and rental units; and other resources, if needed. 
• U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to Alabama and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding this week.
• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has made immediately available $6 million in Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program aid for disaster recovery projects in 10 states affected this month by storms and floods.
• The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Southern Baptists and other voluntary and faith-based organizations are also providing meals, shelter and other relief supplies. More than 90 American Red Cross response vehicles are fanning out through the affected areas distributing meals and relief supplies.

• Register online at www.disasterassistance.gov
• Register through a web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov
• Call 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in designated counties can apply for assistance. For a full list of the designated counties, visit the state disasater page: Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

If you know someone in the affected area and you’re communicating with them, please share this information with them.

Since the deadly tornadoes first struck parts of the country earlier this week, the federal government has been in constant contact with all of the impacted states as they responded to and began recovery efforts from these devastating storms.

At the request of the respective governors, FEMA currently has personnel on the ground in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee, and commodities strategically pre-positioned in the region to support the states.

President Obama joined Administrator Fugate, the Governor and other state and local officials on the ground in Alabama today.

On Sunday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Donovan, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack and Small Business Administrator Mills, and Administrator Fugate will travel to Alabama and Mississippi to survey the damage and meet with state and local officials.

Recap for Friday, April 29th

• FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino and Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour fly from Jackson, MS to Smithville, Monroe County, to survey the storm-damaged areas.
• FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate joins President Obama in Alabama to view damages as a result of severe storms and tornados that struck Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia and other states in the southern and mid-Atlantic regions this week.  President Obama also meets with Governor Robert Bentley, state and local officials, and families affected by the storms. 
• An additional Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) is on the ground in Alabama, IMATs are also on the ground in Mississippi and in Georgia to assist in the coordination efforts as the states continue to respond and begin to recover from this devastating storm outbreak.    
• FEMA liaison officers arrive on the ground in Tennessee’s emergency operations center to state efforts.
• FEMA, its federal partners and the affected states hold a video-teleconference to discuss response efforts and to address anticipated needs. 
• Secretary Janet Napolitano visits the FEMA National Response Coordination Center where she is briefed by the federal agencies on the ongoing, coordinated federal operations in support of the current and anticipated needs of the affected states.  
• Supplies such as meals, water, infant toddler kits and tarps begin to arrive, or are en-route to an incident support base established in Maxwell, Alabama.  The support base will allow FEMA to move supplies closer to the affected area, in case they are needed.
• Nearly 1,100 National Guard men and women perform search and rescue, security, transportation, and road clearing missions in support of the Alabama tornado relief effort.
• Alabama receives additional assistance, as part of its major disaster declaration, for Marengo and Sumter counties, meaning individuals in those counties can now also apply for federal aid. Damage assessments are ongoing, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are completed in the affected areas. 
• The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announces details of the open USPS offices, along with hours of operation and services that were being provided to disaster survivors affected by the recent storms in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi.
• The Department of Health and Human Services provides information on post-storm health messages, to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning, promote generator safety and encourage safety around downed power lines.  
• The American Red Cross continues to provide food and shelter to the thousands of people whose lives were turned upside down by these storms throughout the South and the Midwest. Open Red Cross shelters can be found on www.redcross.org. The Red Cross Safe and Well secure website provides a way for people to find information on people affected by the storms. To register, visit www.redcross.org.