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Dozens of localities in Southwest Virginia have been included in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s major disaster declaration, roughly a month after remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated the region.
That declaration, updated on Oct. 26, opens up federal funding to individuals in seventeen counties as they recover from Helene-related damage.
Individuals affected by flooding and wind damage caused by Helene in the following counties can now seek federal assistance: Bedford, Bland, Carroll, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pittsylvania, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe counties and cities of Galax and Radford.
The deadline to apply for individual assistance is Monday, Dec. 2.
Residents who sustained Helene-related losses in those counties can begin to apply for individual assistance at https://www.fema.gov/ or https://www.disasterassistance.gov/, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the FEMA App.
The federal agency has opened eight disaster recovery centers across Southwest Virginia over the last month, with the ninth expected to open in Galax on Friday. Residents can visit FEMA.gov/drc or text DRC and a ZIP code to 43362 to find the nearest disaster recovery center.
What can FEMA aid cover?
FEMA may be able to help people in Southwest Virginia who have been affected by Helene to pay for essential items, temporary housing, home repairs and other needs due to the disaster. Those other needs can include:
- Essential items such as water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formula, breastfeeding supplies, diapers, medical supplies and equipment, personal hygiene items and fuel for transportation;
- Financial assistance to help pay for hotel stays, stays with family and friends, or other options while seeking a rental unit as well as rental assistance if a person is displaced because of the disaster;
- Repair or replacement of a vehicle, appliances, room furnishings, personal or family computer;
- Books, uniforms, tools, computers and other items required for school or work, including self-employment; and
- Moving and storage fees, medical expenses, childcare and funeral expenses.
FEMA is also encouraging Virginians in the above-mentioned seventeen localities to save their receipts related to repairs and recovery in order to seek reimbursement for those costs. Regarding home repairs, FEMA may be able to cover the cost of the following:
- Cost of a professional, licensed technician to visit your home and prepare an estimate for the repairs or replacement of disaster-damaged systems and uninsured or underinsured losses, and;
- Costs to rebuild or make basic repairs so your home is safe, sanitary, and functional. This includes replacing or repairing disaster-damaged:
- Furnaces, hot water heaters, refrigerators and stoves
- Leaks in a roof that damage ceilings
- Subfloors in occupied parts of the home
- Broken windows
- Well and septic system, and;
- Generators or chainsaws you bought or rented due to damage from the storm.
As of Tuesday, FEMA has approved over $8 million in housing and other types of assistance for more than 2,700 households in Virginia. More than $1.2 billion has been paid out, so far, in the U.S. to survivors of both hurricanes Helene and Milton, according to the federal agency.