FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides various kinds of assistance, including short-term financial needs for temporary housing, food and supplies, home repair, and more. 

• Apply at disasterassistance.gov.
• Via the FEMA app on your phone.
• By phone at: 1-800-621-3362.
• In person at your local stations from 8 am - 7pm:
  • AC Bud Hogan Community Center at 909 E Main St, Old Fort, NC 28762 
  • Black Mountain Ingles parking lot at 550 NC-9, Black Mountain, NC 28711.
  • Lake Lure Ingles at 276 NC-9, Lake Lure, NC 28746.
• Door-to-door: FEMA officials will have a holographic photo ID badge and FEMA clothing. If someone does not have credentials to show you, please report at 828-286-2911.

SBA

The US Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans with 1-year, no-interest or payments (including farms and ranches) impacted by Hurricane Helene. Determine your eligibility now.

Unemployment

If you have lost work due to a disaster, including the self-employed, farmers and ranchers, and those not covered under standard unemployment insurance programs, you may qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

North Carolina Unemployment Insurance Program

• Film a claim online:  https://www.des.nc.gov/individuals/apply-ui
  
• Get information about what you need for filing at https://www.des.nc.gov/individuals/apply-unemployment/what-you-need-file-unemployment
• File a claim by phone at: 1-888-737-0259

Other Organizations

Organizations offer financial support for disaster relief. The US Disaster Assistance site provides a link here: Forms of Assistance. Below, you can view a list of resources provided by Disaster.gov.

American Red Cross: Emergency food, clothing, shelter, and medical assistance for individuals and families with emergency needs caused by a disaster. For additional information, call 1-866-438-4636 (866-GETINFO) or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).

Banking and Financial Institutions: Banks or financial institutions that are members of the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve System, or the Federal Home Loan Bank Board may allow for

penalty-free early withdrawal of time deposits such as Certificates of Deposits (CDs). Contact your bank or financial institution for more information.

Crisis Counseling: Referral services and counseling are available to people affected by a disaster. For more information, call 1-800-273-8255 (Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline).

Disaster Legal Services (DLS): Free legal services for low-income households to include legal counseling, advice, and representation for disaster-related issues. Examples of disaster-related legal issues include but are not limited to: landlord-tenant problems; appeals of FEMA decisions and other government benefits available to disaster survivors; insurance claims; home repair contracts and contractor issues; and replacements of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster. To request these services in your area, call the toll-free American Bar Association National Hotline at 1-888-743-5749, and when prompted, say the name of the state or territory in which you are seeking help. In addition to the hotline, you also may visit the DLS website at www.americanbar.org/groups/young_lawyers/projects/disaster-legal-services or FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs), where DLS information is available and DLS representatives may be located.

Health and Human Services: Services (like transportation, meals, home care, etc.) to meet the needs of older adults who have been directly affected by a disaster. For more information on Aging Services, call 1-800-677-1116 (U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services).

Insurance Information: Assistance and counseling for insurance issues and questions, including help obtaining copies of lost policies, claims filing, expediting settlements, etc. If you have not been able to resolve an issue with Call the National Flood Insurance Program at 1-877-336-2627 or visit www.FloodSmart.gov for flood insurance inquiries.

Personal Property Tax: Your local government may provide property tax relief for those affected by a disaster. For more information, contact your local Tax Assessor’s office.

Social Security Administration (SSA): For help with Social Security benefits or to update your mailing address if you are displaced from your home and receive your benefits through the mail, or for more information, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778).

Tax Assistance: Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Offers tax deductions for certain uninsured disaster-caused losses to your home or personal property. Taxpayers may be able to file an amended return to receive an early tax refund. For more information, order the IRS Disaster Loss Kit by calling the IRS publication hotline at 1-800-829-3676. Refer to Publication #2194 for individuals, or #2194B for businesses. For more information on disaster tax assistance, call the IRS at 1-866-562-5227 (TTY: 1-800-829-4059) or visit www.IRS.gov.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency: Emergency loans to farmers and ranchers operating and managing a farm or ranch at the time of the disaster. These loans are limited to compensation of actual losses to essential property and/or production capacity. Farmers and ranchers may also apply for cost-sharing grants for emergency conservation programs. (Like debris removal from crop/pasture lands, repairs to land/water conservation structures, and permanent fencing.) For more information, call the USDA Farm Service Agency at 1-202-720-2791 or visit www.usda.gov.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Programs:

• Home and Personal Property Disaster Loan Program: Low-interest disaster loans to homeowners and

renters to repair or replace property damaged or destroyed by a disaster. The maximum available home loan

is $500,000. The maximum loan available for personal property losses is $100,000. Loan amounts are limited

to the amount of SBA-verified losses that are uninsured, underinsured or otherwise uncompensated. You

don’t have to apply for an SBA disaster loan to be considered for FEMA Assistance. For more information,

call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or visit a local Disaster Recovery Center.

• Business Disaster Loan Program: Low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes and private

nonprofits organizations to repair or replace damaged or destroyed business property and facilities,

inventory, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, leasehold improvements, and provide working

capital for small businesses and most private nonprofits. The maximum loan amount is $2,000,000. For more

information, call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or visit a local Disaster Recovery Center.

Veterans Affairs (VA): The VA can expedite delivery of information about benefits, pensions, insurance settlements, and VA mortgage loans. For more information, call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 (TTY: 1-800-829-4833).