BRISTOL, Va.— More than $2 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for homeowners and renters in Virginia following the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene.
“We know that many Virginians have been impacted by Helene, and we are thankful that we received an expedited major disaster declaration that has allowed survivors to get quicker access to assistance,” said State Coordinator Shawn Talmadge. “We continue to encourage those that are eligible to apply online, over the phone, or visit one of the Disaster Recovery Centers so that they can take the first step in the pathway to recovery.”
“We are grateful to be here helping Virginians recover from the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Helene," said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Timothy Pheil. “This milestone represents a great start towards our goal of doing all we can to support survivors. If you have not applied for assistance yet, please reach out and let us see if we can help you.”
Impacted individuals in Bedford, Bland, Carroll, Giles, Grayson, Pittsylvania, Russell, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe counties and cities of Galax and Radford can apply today by visiting www.disasterassistance.gov, using the FEMA mobile app, calling 1-800-621-3362, or visiting a Disaster Recovery Center.
On Monday, Oct. 7, FEMA opened the first Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in Damascus, Va. FEMA opened a second DRC on Thursday, Oct. 10 in Independence, Va. Additional locations will open in the coming weeks. Staff from federal, commonwealth, and local agencies are at DRCs to help survivors answer questions about FEMA applications as well as access other resources and support.
"FEMA is here to support individuals and communities in Virginia on the path to recovery," Pheil said. "We thank our Commonwealth, local and nonprofit partners - and Virginia survivors themselves - for all they have done, and continue to do, to help their friends, families and communities recover.”
FEMA has set up a rumor response webpage to clarify our role in the Helene response. Visit Hurricane Helene: Rumor Response | FEMA.gov.
For more information on Virginia’s disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.
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FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.
To apply for FEMA assistance, please call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362, visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, or download and apply on the FEMA App. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages). Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status.