3-On Your Side: FEMA Help For Hurricane Victims
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Some good news to report today for Pennsylvanians affected by Hurricane Irene and related flooding. Federal disaster assistance is now available. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan explains what help is out there and how you can get it.
This is certainly good news for residents of Philadelphia and the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton and Lehigh. Like most New Jersey residents, they're now eligible to get financial help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, otherwise known as FEMA.
In Pennsylvania assistance is available to cover damage that occurred between August 26th and August 30th. While New Jersey residents have a broader time period, with damage being covered from August 27th through September 5th.
The assistance for homeowners and renters can include grants to pay for:
- temporary housing
- home repairs not covered by insurance
- home replacement if a home was destroyed and not covered by insurance
- disaster-related medical and dental costs.
- clothing and household furnishings
- assistance to pay for clean-up items like wet/dry vacs and dehumidifiers.
To obtain emergency aid from FEMA you first need to start the process by registering either online, or by phone. The phone number to call is (800) 621-3362. Call TTY (800) 462-7585 for people with speech or hearing disabilities. To register online visit: http://www.fema.gov/assistance/
Among the items you'll have to have handy when you register are: your social security number, the address of the damaged property, your current living address, your insurance information, your household income and your bank routing number.
The registration process will take around 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, here are a list of the Disaster Recovery Centers in that have been set up in our area so far:
PHILADELPHIA COUNTY
TO BE ANNOUNCED
GLOUCESTER COUNTY
Government Services Building
1200 N. Delsea Drive
Clayton, NJ 08312
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Cumberland County 911 Center
637 Bridgeton Center
Bridgeton, NJ 08302
CAPE MAY COUNTY
Cape May County EM Communications Center
30 Mechanic St.
Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210
OCEAN COUNTY
Brick Township Civic Plaza
270 Chambers Bridge Rd.
Brick Township, NJ 08723
BURLINGTON COUNTY
Burlington County College
601 Pemberton Browns Mills Rd.
Pemberton, NJ 08068
HUNTERDON COUNTY
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Building 1
Flemington, NJ 08822
The centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. Residents are urged to register before visiting a DRC.
Reported by Jim Donovan, CBS 3
