Three More North Carolina Counties Added for Disaster Assistance

RALEIGH, North Carolina, Oct. 26 -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency issued the following news release:

Residents and business owners in Chatham, Durham and Guilford counties may now apply for disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses resulting from Hurricane Florence.

"The addition of three more counties to the disaster declaration will help more North Carolinians get their lives back on track after Hurricane Florence," said Gov. Roy Cooper.

To apply:

* Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.

* Call 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or VRS) or 800-462-7585 (TTY) anytime from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

* Visit a disaster recovery center. To find center locations and hours, go online to fema.gov/DRC or download the FEMA mobile app in English or Spanish.

If you have a homeowner's or flood insurance policy, file your insurance claim before applying for disaster assistance.

For qualified homeowners and renters, disaster grants help pay for basic repairs to make a home habitable, temporary rental assistance, and serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources. To be eligible, the storm damage and losses must have occurred as a result of Hurricane Florence between Sept. 7 and Sept. 29, 2018.

Disaster assistance may include low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit

organizations, homeowners and renters. Next to insurance, SBA serves as the primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property.

"FEMA is committed to assisting the state in its recovery by helping people whose homes and businesses were affected by Florence," said Federal Coordinating Officer Albie Lewis, who oversees FEMA's disaster operations in North Carolina.

The 34 North Carolina counties now designated for Individual Assistance are: Anson, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Union, Wayne and Wilson.

For more information on North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Florence, visit ncdps.gov/Florence and FEMA.gov/Disaster/4393. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.