Puerto Rico Hurricane Fiona

Period to Apply for Hurricane Fiona Disaster Assistance Has Closed

The period to apply for Disaster Assistance ended on Monday, November 21, 2022. However, help is still available. Applicants should get in touch with FEMA to update information and receive application assistance.

Ways to Get in Touch With FEMA

• Going online at DisasterAssistance.gov to check application status, upload requested documents, update contact information, and submit an appeal.
• Calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 to discuss their case with a FEMA representative, receive help understanding a FEMA determination, help writing an appeal, and rescheduling a missed home inspection. Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish and 3 for all other languages.
  • People who use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA the number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

Keep Your Recovery on Track

Verifying Home Ownership or Occupancy

FEMA is required to verify you lived at the address in your application as your primary residence before providing most types of IHP Assistance. FEMA is also required to verify you owned your home before providing Home Repair or Replacement Assistance.

As part of our effort to make the disaster assistance process quicker and reduce the burden on applicants, we try to verify occupancy and ownership by using an automated public records search.

If we cannot verify you lived in or owned the home that you listed in your application, we will ask you to provide documents to prove occupancy and/or ownership to help us determine if you are eligible for assistance.

Learn more:

• Documents to verify Occupancy
• Documents to verify Home Ownership

How to Appeal Your FEMA Determination

If you disagree with a FEMA decision about your eligibility for disaster assistance, you have the right to submit an appeal within 60 days from the date FEMA has on the determination letter.

An appeal is a written request to FEMA to review your file again, and an opportunity to provide new or additional information not previously submitted that may affect the decision. You may appeal any decision from FEMA regarding your application for Individual Assistance, such as your initial eligibility decision, the amount or type of assistance provided to you, late applications, requests to return money, or a denial of Continued Temporary Housing Assistance.

In your appeal provide documentation of the damage that affected your essential living space or made your home uninhabitable. That includes home repair estimates and receipts, insurance information (settlements/denial of claim letter), contractor bids or photos. And be sure to include any information or documents that FEMA requests in the decision letter.

Keep in mind that after FEMA receives your letter, you may receive a phone call or a follow-up letter asking for more information.

You can get help writing your appeal letter, as well as address other disaster-related legal concerns through free legal disaster-related assistance provided by Disaster Legal Services (DLS). For information about DLS, call the toll-free legal aid hotline Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 1-800-981-5342 or by email at info@ayudalegalpr.org.

If you have questions regarding the determination letter you received or how to file an appeal, you may contact a FEMA Helpline agent at 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA), or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. You may also choose to request a copy of your file from FEMA to help you understand why you received the decision you want to appeal.

For more information and advice on the appeals process, see: Tips for Appealing a FEMA Decision

Continued Rental Assistance

Puerto Rico residents who received temporary rental assistance from FEMA after Hurricane Fiona may be eligible to continue receiving this benefit, if they can demonstrate an ongoing need for rental assistance and meet program qualifications.

To qualify for this benefit, survivors must have received initial rental assistance, show they still have disaster-related financial needs and show they are working on a permanent housing plan that provides safe, sanitary and functional housing, within a reasonable time frame. Also, survivors must demonstrate they are unable to return to their pre-disaster residence because it is uninhabitable, inaccessible, or not available due to disaster damage.

Eligible survivors may apply for continued rental assistance by providing:

• A copy of their current lease;

• receipts showing the proper use of federal disaster housing assistance;

• current household income status; and

• post-disaster housing costs.

To apply for continued rental assistance, survivors can call FEMA’s Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Those who use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, must give FEMA the number for that service. Survivors can also visit disasterassistance.gov or download the FEMA app.

Extensions on rental assistance may be granted for three-month periods up to a maximum of 18 months from September 21, 2022, the date of the Hurricane Fiona disaster declaration.

Beware of Fraud and Scams

After disasters there are people who will try to take advantage of survivors. Protect yourself from fraud, scams, and identity theft:

• Do not let someone into your home who claims to be a FEMA employee but does not have a FEMA photo ID. Always ask to see a FEMA photo ID badge. A FEMA shirt or jacket is not proof of identity.
• FEMA personnel will never ask for money in exchange for an inspection or application assistance.
• If you get a call informing you that you are eligible for a FEMA disaster assistance program, do not provide any personal information. FEMA personnel will not contact you if you did not register for FEMA assistance.

If you suspect fraud, contact local law enforcement and call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721.

Learn more

Additional Resources

Disaster Legal Services (DLS)

Disaster Legal Services can provide free legal help to low-income disaster survivors. If you are not able to get adequate legal services for your disaster-related needs, DLS may be able to help with the following:

• Insurance claims for medical bills, loss of property, and loss of life 
• New wills, powers of attorney, and other legal papers lost during the disaster
• Home-repair contracts and contractors
• Problems with landlords
• Proof of homeownership
• FEMA assistance appeals

Disaster Legal Services attorneys are not FEMA employees. Their services are confidential and they do not share information with FEMA. 

For information about DLS, call the toll-free legal aid hotline Monday - Friday from 8 AM - 6PM at 1-800-981-5342 or by email at info@ayudalegalpr.org. This service is provided by the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association and Servicios Legales de Puerto Rico in collaboration with FEMA.

Additional Multimedia

Below you can find social media graphics and images with important safety messaging in various languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish and Vietnamese.

• Disaster Support Social Graphics
• American Sign Language (ASL):  Reasons to Apply for an SBA Loan
• American Sign Language (ASL):  Renters May be Eligible for Federal Help
• American Sign Language (ASL):  Understanding Your Letter

Social Media and Contact Information

• Puerto Rico Facebook
• Region 2 Twitter
• FEMA Assistance Helpline: 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585, press 2 for help in Spanish.
• For media inquiries in Puerto Rico, please email fema-pr-huracanfiona@fema.dhs.gov.
• For more contact resources visit the Contact Us page.