RALEIGH — The deadline for North Carolinians in 39 counties to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance after Hurricane Helene has been extended to Jan. 7, 2025.
Homeowners and renters in the 39 counties may be eligible for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) financial assistance for serious needs, displacement, basic home repairs, personal property losses and other uninsured or underinsured disaster-caused expenses.
The 39 counties include Mitchell, Avery and Yancey counties. Disaster survivors who have not yet applied for FEMA assistance should apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, which is the quickest way to apply.
Survivors can also apply using the FEMA App on mobile devices or call the FEMA Helpline toll-free at (800) 621-3362. The Helpline is open every day, and help is available in most languages. Recovery assistant is also available by visiting disastersassistance.gov. Please make sure you go to the .gov site to avoid fraudulent websites.
The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is open at the Mitchell Senior Center in Ledger, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to provide in-person assistance. You can file for assistance at the center or if you have filed for assistance and have questions or concerns that you may have missed a step, you can visit the Mitchell Center to update your file.
Unemployment assistance
The Division of Employment Security (DES) has a dedicated hotline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. The hotlines are open Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Call (919) 629-3857 for English and (919) 276-5698 for Spanish.