As eligible homeowners and renters affected by the March and April storms, tornadoes and flooding in Arkansas begin receiving funds from FEMA, be assured that federal disaster assistance funds are tax free. A FEMA decision letter will spell out the proper use of the funds. FEMA urges you to use the funds as stated in your award letter and only for disaster-related expenses.
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- The major presidential disaster declaration unlocked funding for Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp and Stone counties for the March 14-15 storms and tornadoes. A separate declaration was approved for the April 2-22 storms, tornadoes and flooding in Clark, Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Desha, Fulton, Greene, Hot Spring, Jackson, Miller, Ouachita, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Sharp and White counties.
- As an approved applicant from a designated county, you will receive a letter from FEMA. It will provide information about the types of assistance you are eligible to receive and the amount of assistance FEMA is providing for each eligible need.
- There may be different types of housing assistance specified for homeowners, depending on the individual need.
- A survivor whose home was destroyed may receive a FEMA grant to help cover part of the uninsured cost of rebuilding. In this case, the homeowner could make the repairs, hire someone to make the repairs, or use the money to buy building materials and have a volunteer group provide the labor to rebuild.
- Some survivors may be eligible to use a FEMA grant to find permanent housing in a different location.
- If the storms damaged, but did not destroy, your home, you may be eligible for a home repair grant.
- Homeowners may receive additional funding for an owner-occupied primary residence to help you rebuild stronger.
- Other types of assistance available to homeowners and renters, including students, may include:
- Rental assistance or money you can use to rent a different place to live temporarily
- Repair or replacement of a damaged primary vehicle
- Uninsured out-of-pocket medical expenses for an injury caused by the storms
- Reimbursement for increased childcare expenses
- Repair or replacement of specialized occupational tools and essential educational materials (e.g., computers, schoolbooks, supplies)
- Moving and storage expenses related to the storms and other essential disaster-related expenses.
- You may spend your home repair grant from FEMA in ways that help make your home safe, accessible and functional. Remember to document how you used the disaster funds and keep all receipts for at least three years to verify how you spent the money.
- You do not have to pay taxes on federal disaster assistance funds.
There is still time to apply for federal disaster assistance. Go to DisasterAssistance.gov; download the FEMA App for mobile devices; or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, you can give FEMA your number for that service.
- In-person survivor assistance is also available at several sites. To find hours and locations, visit fema.gov/disaster/4865 or fema.gov/disaster/4873, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the link under “In-person Survivor Assistance.”
- For an accessible video on how to apply, go to Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.
If you were affected by the March 14-15 and the April 2-22 disasters, you are encouraged to file a separate FEMA application for each disaster. The deadline for the March storms is Monday, July 14. The last day to apply for the April storms is Tuesday, July 22.
For the latest information about Arkansas’ recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4865 or fema.gov/disaster/4873. Follow FEMA Region 6 on social media at x.com/FEMARegion6 and at facebook.com/FEMARegion6