How To Claim A Disaster In West Virginia

If you’re in need of federal assistance after a federally declared disaster, you may be eligible to apply. Whether it’s through the U.S. government, or from the state of West Virginia, there is hope in receiving help.

Disaster Assistance Center

If you need any help during or after a disaster, disasterassistance.gov can help you find or apply for any type of assistance. Their website has a list of resources and information to help anyone cope through any type of catastrophe. They provide a “Disaster Survivor Application Checklist” too see if you may qualify for help before you apply for disaster assistance. If you’re looking for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, apply by phone at 1-800-621-FEMA.

West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources

For more localized health, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources provide programs and grants for those who seek disaster assistance. The West Virginia Other Needs Assessment Program (ONA) is designed to aid families who are struggling to make ends meet with any expense other than housing that was negatively affected by a disaster. This includes anything from medical to transportation, from funeral to moving and storage expenses. West Virginia also designs a grant to meet the serious needs and necessary expenses of disaster victims. The West Virginia Individual and Family Grant (IFG) is made both to those who are eligible, and those who first fill out and return their U.S. Small Business Administration SBA loan applications.

Disaster assistance is not intended to restore your damaged property back to a pre-disaster condition. It is designed to help you with critical and necessary expenses you may have that cannot be covered in any other way.

Go to fema.gov/disasters to find out if you’ve been hit by a federally declared disaster to see if you can apply for any type of federal assistance.

By, Jessica Doucette