HICKORY — At the request of the state of North Carolina, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has extended the deadline to apply for assistance after Tropical Storm Helene to April 7.
FEMA may be able to help with temporary lodging, basic home repairs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. Homeowners and renters in Mitchell, Avery and Yancey counties, as well as in the other 36 N.C. counties, which were affected by Hurricane Helene and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, are encouraged to apply for assistance.
There are several ways to apply: Visit a Disaster Recovery Center, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App, or call 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other, give FEMA your number for that service. To find a Disaster Recovery Center, go online to fema.gov/drc or text DRC & your ZIP code to 43362.
To view an accessible video on how to apply visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhtlyTX49RE&t=30s.