FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency

10/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/03/2024 08:37

FEMA Staff Heading to Your Neighborhood

Richmond, VA. - FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) Teams will be in Virginia beginning today, Oct. 3, to provide help to those affected by Tropical Storm Helene. They will start in Washington County, Va. FEMA staff will be answering questions about applications for Individual Assistance as well as helping those who have not yet registered.

Residents of Giles, Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington and Wythe counties as well as residents of the city of Galax are eligible to apply for assistance from FEMA to help with costs from damage and losses due to Hurricane Helene beginning September 25, 2024.

Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams help survivors in different ways. DSA teams conduct outreach in impacted counties and cities, help survivors register for FEMA assistance, check the status of applications and can make minor corrections to applications.

You do not need to wait for DSA teams to apply for FEMA assistance. There are other ways to apply:

If you have already applied for FEMA assistance, FEMA will have inspectors on the ground to follow up on applications and review reported damages.

While FEMA staff will be making neighborhood visits, residents of the affected communities should also be aware of potential fraud and scams by people claiming to represent FEMA:

  • FEMA representatives never charge a fee or ask for payment.
  • FEMA representatives will always have a laminated identification badge.
  • Protect the privacy of your nine-digit FEMA case/registration number. Legitimate FEMA representatives will only ask for the last four digits as part of the verification process.

If you have any concerns, you can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

For more information on Virginia's disaster recovery, visit vaemergency.gov, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management Facebook page , fema.gov/disaster/4831 and facebook.com/FEMA.

###

FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. FEMA Region 3's jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Follow us on X at x.com/FEMAregion3 and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/femaregion3.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).