BATON ROUGE, La. -- Individuals and families who suffered losses as a result of Hurricane Katrina are encouraged to contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as soon as possible to register for disaster assistance. One of the best methods to complete an application is to visit FEMA's online Individual Assistance Center at www.fema.gov to avoid busy signals on the telephone.
If information is gathered prior to starting the application, the process should take approximately 20 minutes. The Internet application expires after 30 minutes as a security precaution, and information entered will be lost if applicants do not complete the process within this time period. Therefore, FEMA representatives encourage applicants to collect the following information ahead of time to speed the process:
- Social security number
- Telephone number where they can be reached
- Address of the damaged property
- Brief description of disaster-related losses
- Insurance information
- Bank account information (account number and routing number to receive a direct deposit). If applicants do not know the necessary information to sign up for a direct deposit, they should call their banks to get this information before starting an application. FEMA strongly encourages people to provide their bank account and routing numbers because many residents are relocating following Hurricane Katrina, and mailed checks may not reach them.
Disaster recovery officials are aware people may not be able to access all the necessary information. For this reason, FEMA staff is trained to work around missing information. Missing information should not make those in need miss out on help. Log on to www.fema.gov to submit an application.
Registration Tips
- If possible, people may call an out-of-state friend or relative and have that individual apply for assistance via the Internet on their behalf. FEMA can accept an application from any person but will only provide follow-up information to the individual needing assistance. Applicants should share personal information only with trusted individuals .
- Those who cannot provide direct deposit details may have their assistance check mailed to someone living outside the disaster area. Applicants may give the address of an out-of-area contact who can get the funds to them.
- Applicants who evacuated before the disaster and who have not returned home should report that there was damage, even if they are unsure of the details. It will be presumed the damage resulted from the storm. Do not say damages are unknown.
- If staying in a hotel, it is acceptable to give the name and city of the hotel if applicants do not have a telephone. FEMA staff will work with people's varied living situations.
- Those who experienced minor damage might consider waiting before applying for disaster assistance and allowing those in serious need to register first.
Anyone who can access a working telephone or the Internet may register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by registering online at www.fema.gov . People who are speech- or hearing-impaired should call TTY 1-800-462-7585 . More than 3,000 employees are taking calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U....