Survivors in Cumberland, Hancock, Lincoln, Knox, Sagadahoc, Waldo, Washington and York counties who had loss or damage from the severe storms and flooding that occurred Jan. 9-13, 2024, may have already reported their damages to the State of Maine, spoken to someone from FEMA, or registered for assistance with a community organization. That does not mean they have applied for federal assistance with FEMA.

In order to be eligible for federal assistance, you must apply directly with FEMA before the May 20 deadline.

Once you complete the application for federal assistance with FEMA, you will receive a FEMA registration number which will confirm your enrollment.

Remember, renters and homeowners must apply with FEMA to be eligible for federal assistance. Businesses can only apply to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for assistance.

FEMA's Individual Assistance may be able to help with:

• Lodging Expense Reimbursement
• Rental Assistance for Temporary Housing
• Repairs and Out-of-Pocket Expenses

There are several ways to apply for FEMA assistance:

• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. To find a center near you, go online to: DRC Locator, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Ex: DRC 04074)
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. The Helpline is available daily from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET.
• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish).
• Download the FEMA mobile app (also in Spanish), available at Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube.

For information about how an SBA loan may benefit you, visit sba.gov/disaster, call 800-659-2955 or send an email to [email protected], If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-877-8339. Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov.