President Joe Biden has declared Florida and North Carolina as major disaster zones in the wake of Hurricane Helene and has ordered federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts.
In Florida, the president's action has made federal funding available to individuals in Charlotte, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Taylor, and Wakulla counties, reported FEMA, Sunday.
Assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the hurricane, which came ashore as a Category 4 storm in Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday.
Federal funding has also been made available, on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures across Florida and North Carolina.
In North Carolina, Biden's action has made federal funding available to individuals in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties, and for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
FEMA said that those who sustained losses in the designated areas can apply for assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621- 3362, or through the FEMA app.