What You Can Do If You're Having Trouble Getting Through

The Disaster Assistance Process

First, if you have immediate emergency needs for food, clothing, shelter, or medical care contact one of the local offices of the American Red Cross. You can visit a local office or call their toll-free number at 1-866-438-4636. Please understand that the Red Cross may be experiencing similar problems in answering all their calls.

If your damages are not severe and you are able to start the cleanup process on your own, please consider waiting a few days before you call FEMA. That way, the telephone lines will remain open so that people with more urgent problems can call. Be assured that FEMA and the other government agencies providing disaster aid will be in the area for as long as it takes to meet everyone's need.

Remember that it is not necessary to delay cleanup until an inspector sees your damaged property. We suggest you take pictures and save receipts in case there is any question about your damages later.

Finally, collect all the information you need to apply for aid so when you do call 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing impaired, your application can be taken quickly and is complete. The information you will need includes:

• The street address of your damaged property
• Your current mailing address and a telephone number where you can be reached in the event you have been forced to relocate
• Your Social Security Number
• Your household's approximate gross income at the time of the flood or, if you are reporting business damages, the gross income of the business
• Information on the type of insurance coverage you have, particularly flood insurance

If you get a busy signal when calling teleregistration, be patient and keep trying. The line is operational 24/7. Try calling in the evening after 6:00 p.m. or on weekends when call volume often is lighter.