Major Disaster Declaration declared on January 16, 2020
Individual Assistance Applications
Approved: 12,031
Total Individual & Households Program
Dollars Approved: $43,582,441.61
Total Public Assistance Grants
Dollars Obligated: $518,702.01
Designated Counties (Individual Assistance):
Adjuntas, Aguada, Anasco, Arecibo, Barceloneta, Cabo Rojo, Ciales, Coamo, Corozal, Guanica, Guayanilla, Hormigueros, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Maricao, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naranjito, Orocovis, Penuelas, Ponce, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Utuado, Villalba, Yauco
Click here to view the graphic.
Here are the latest numbers on FEMA's ongoing earthquake response and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico as of April 1, 2020
- Free legal aid available to eligible Puerto Rico residents affected by the earthquakes that began in December. Click here for more information.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available for individuals who lost their jobs because of the earthquakes in southwest Puerto Rico and live or work in any of the 25 municipalities FEMA approved for assistance may be aligible to receive unemployment benefits. Click here for more information.
- As of February 6, 2020: Nine more municipalities that were affected by the earthquakes in southwest Puerto Rico have been designated as eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. At the request of the Government of Puerto Rico, FEMA extended eligibility for Individual Assistance to Arecibo, Ciales, Hormigueros, Juana Díaz, Las Marías, Mayagüez, Morovis, Orocovis and Sabana Grande under the January 16 presidential disaster declaration.
Additional Resources
Financial Assistance
Individual Assistance - Dollars Approved
$43,582,441.61
Total Individual & Households Program (IHP) - Dollars Approved*
$41,699,433.21
Total Housing Assistance (HA) - Dollars Approved*
$1,883,008.40
Total Other Needs Assistance (ONA) - Dollars Approved*
12,031
Total Individual Assistance (IA) - Applications Approved*
Public Assistance - Dollars Approved
$518,702.01
Total Public Assistance Grants (PA) - Dollars Obligated✝
$119,670.00
Emergency Work (Categories A-B) - Dollars Obligated✝
* Dollars Approved: Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.
✝ Dollars Obligated: Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.
Learn more about FEMA Disaster definitions. Information is updated every 24 hours.
How to Apply for Disaster Assistance
- Online, at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
- By phone at 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Operators who speak Spanish are available by pressing 2. Telephone registration is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
- Speak with a FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Team member near your home. DSA Teams are going door-to-door and are also visiting shelters and base camps.
Homeowners and renters whose homes were damaged in the designated areas may apply for FEMA disaster grants that may help pay for:
- Temporary housing, including rental assistance and lodging expenses, if the home is unlivable.
- Replacing uninsured personal property.
- Medical, dental, funeral transportation, child care, moving, storage and other serious earthquake-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and charitable aid programs.
For more information read our Earthquake Survivors: Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance by May 31 news release.
News Releases
- Citizenship Requirements: Survivors Registering for Federal Assistance | May 6, 2020
- What to Expect After You Register | May 6, 2020
- Use Disaster Assistance Grants Wisely | May 6, 2020
- Federal Support to Expand National Testing Capabilities | May 5, 2020
- State, FEMA Continue Working on Tennessee Disaster Recovery | May 5, 2020
Disaster Recovery Center Locations
*Due to COVID-19 all Disaster Recovery Centers in Puerto Rico are temporarily closed until further notice.
Distaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) serve homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of the recent earthquakes in Southwest Puerto Rico. Specialists from the government of Puerto Rico and municipalities, FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, nongovernmental organizations and the local community, will be on hand to help survivors register for assistance, answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors. Services are provided in English and Spanish.
For assistance call FEMA at 1(800) 621-3362 o 1 (800) 642-7585 (TTY) or visit www.disasterassistance.gov.
| Guánica | Coliseo Mariano “Tito” Rodriguez PR-116R, Guánica, PR 00653 |
| Guayanilla | Estadio Municipal Luis A. “Pegui” Mercado Toro (parking lot) PR-2, Guayanilla, PR 00656 |
| Ponce | Complejo Polideportivo Los Cabaos (Cancha de Baloncesto) Avenida Los Caobos, Ponce PR 00716 |
| Villalba | Área recreativa Héctor “Papo” Díaz PR-561; Villalba, Puerto Rico 00766 |
| Lajas | Emergency Operations Center/Municipal Emergency Management Office Lajas Parking Lot 8 Calle Cementerio Lajas, PR 00667 |
| San Sebastián | Coliseum Luis Aymat Cardona Room 2 PR-111 Km 18.0 Bo. Bahomamey San Sebastián, PR 00685 |
| Peñuelas | Centro Comunal Alturas 2 Santo Domingo, Peñuelas, PR 00624 |
| Utuado | Coliseo Municipal Jorge “Peco” Gonzalez Avenida Rolando Cabanas, Utuado, PR 00641 |
| Yauco | Coliseo Raul “Pipote” Oliveras PR-128, Yauco, PR 00698 |
| Corozal | Carretera 891 Int, Bo Pueblo Calle Francisca "Paca" Martínez Corozal, 00783, Puerto Rico |
| Maricao | Plaza Pública de Maricao Calle Baldorioty intersección con la calle José de Diego Maricao, 00606, Puerto Rico |
| Adjuntas | Coliseo Rafael Llull Pérez, Calle D, barrio Juan González Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, 00601 |
| Sábana Grande | Estadio Rafael D. Milán Padró In the parking lot off of PR121 Sábana Grande, Puerto Rico 00637 |
| San Germán | Antigua instalación de la Guardia Nacional Carretera PR-360, intersección con PR-362 San Germán, Puerto Rico, 00683 |
| Ciales | Centro de Convenciones PR - 149 KM 18.1 Bo Pesas Ciales, PR 00638 |
Small Bussiness Adminstrations (SBA) Assistance
Homeowners and renters also may be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA to cover home losses not fully compensated by insurance. SBA loans are available to homeowners for up to $200,000 for a primary residence. Homeowners and renters may qualify for up to $40,000 for personal property. Businesses can apply for up to $2 million in loans for business property losses not fully insured.
Next to insurance, an SBA low-interest disaster loan is the primary source of funds for property repairs and for replacing contents destroyed in the recent earthquakes.
How to apply for an SBA loan:
- Visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
- Call SBA at 800-659-2955; TTY users may call 800-877-8339.
- Email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for more information.
For more information read our SBA Mitigation Loans Available to Eligible Puerto Rico Survivors, Businesses Fact Sheet.
Assistance With Coping After an Earthquake
Tips to help lessen anxiety
- Staying connected with your family and your closest friends.
- Check on your neighbors, especially people who may need help like seniors, parents with young children and people with disabilities.
If you are feeling anxious or stressed, call the Primera Ayuda Sicosocial at 800-981-0023 and meet with a crisis counselor.
For more information read our Coping After an Earthquake: Only You Can Determine Your Healing Time news release.
Crisis Counseling
FEMA has approved crisis counseling assistance for residents of Guánica, Guayanilla, Peñuelas, Ponce, Utuado and Yauco.
FEMA is funding the crisis counseling program, which is administered by Proyecto Animate. The program’s goal is to help people and communities to recover from the effects of natural or man-made disasters through short-term intervention.
In addition to the counselors at the disaster recovery centers and base camps, counselors can be reached by calling Línea PAS at 800-981-0023 or (TTY) 800-672-7622, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
For more infomation read our Crisis Counseling Approved for Six Municipalities in Southwest Puerto Rico news release.
Be Aware of Fraud and Other Scams
Here are some tips to safeguard against fraud:
- Ask to see ID badges. All FEMA representatives carry an identification badge with a photograph. A FEMA shirt or jacket is not proof of identity.
- Keep your FEMA registration number safe. This number is your key to your application information. Do not share it with others. FEMA housing inspectors will ask for identification to verify your identity but will already have your registration number.
- Safeguard personal information. FEMA representatives will ask for social security and bank account numbers when you register and may ask for it after registration. Be cautious when giving this information to others who ask for it. Scam artists may pose as government officials, aid workers, or insurance company employees.
- Federal workers never ask for a fee or accept money. FEMA staff never charge for disaster assistance, inspections, or help completing applications.