FEMA Individual Assistance Program Available To Story County Residents

Press release from the City of Ames:

September 4, 2020

Story County Emergency Management Agency has announced that residents of Story County have qualified for the FEMA Individual Assistance program as a result of the Aug 10, 2020 derecho.

The FEMA Individual Assistance program is open to any homeowner or renter whose primary residence is uninhabitable or inaccessible due to the disaster and who has housing needs not covered by insurance. By law, FEMA assistance cannot duplicate the assistance you receive from your insurance company. Some of the costs FEMA may reimburse include:

• Housing and rental assistance
• Basic home repairs
• Temporary housing
• Disaster caused expenses for childcare; medical care; essential household items such as room furnishings, appliances, clothing, tools required for your work, and necessary educational materials (computers, schoolbooks, supplies); and moving and storage expenses

With the activation of FEMA Individual Assistance, the Iowa Assistance Program will cease. Individuals who applied for the Iowa Assistance Program should now apply for the FEMA Individual Assistance Program at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ Even if you are not sure if you qualify for assistance, you should still register if you have damage to your home from the storm.

More information on what FEMA will cover and the assistance process can be found at https://www.fema.gov/individual-disaster-assistance or call 800.621.3362. The toll-free telephone number will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central time, seven days a week, until further notice. Additional recovery programs from the Iowa Department of Human Resources (DHS) can be found at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs

This press release was produced by the City of Ames. The views expressed here are the author’s own.