Assistance Provided by FEMA for Natural Disasters

(This article appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)

With all the ever-increasing natural disasters happening across the country due to climate change, it is imperative to know the resources available to aid APWU families. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the U.S. government agency tasked with coordinating federal responses to disasters and emergencies. FEMA provides various forms of disaster assistance to individuals and households affected by presidentially declared disasters, such as:

• Lodging-expense reimbursement
• Rental assistance • Home repair/replacement assistance
• Accessibility needs to assist survivors with a disability to make their home accessible
• Privately-owned roads, bridges, and docks
• Direct temporary housing assistance
• Personal property assistance to repair or replace appliances, room furnishings, or damaged computers.
• Transportation assistance
• Medical and dental assistance
• Funeral assistance
• Moving and storage expenses
• Group flood insurance policy
• Serious needs assistance for essentials like water, food, first aid, prescriptions, infant formulas, breast feeding equipment, diapers, personal hygiene items, and fuels for transportation.

Applying for FEMA Assistance:

FEMA assistance is meant to help with uninsured or under insured losses. Not all types of assistance are available for every disaster. To be eligible for FEMA individual assistance, you must meet the following criteria:

• Occupancy: You must have been living in the damaged property as your primary residence at the time of the disaster.
• Ownership: You must own the damaged property or rent it.
• Disaster Damage: Your home must have sustained disaster-caused damage that is not covered by insurance.
• U.S. Citizenship or Legal Residency: You must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.

For assistance, register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 1 (800) 621-3362, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (your time zone), seven days a week. Expect long wait times. Be prepared to provide information about your losses and expenses. FEMA may conduct an inspection of your damaged property.

Our prayers go out to all APWU family members suffering because of these most difficult circumstances! Source: FEMA.gov. ■