Homeowners and renters in Kent, Providence and Washington counties who had damage from the severe storm and flooding that took place from Dec. 17-19, 2023, and Jan. 9-13, 2024, have just one week left to apply for disaster assistance.

The deadline to apply for disaster assistance from FEMA is May 20.

There are several ways to register:

▪ Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and operates daily from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or another relay service, give FEMA your number for that service when you call.

▪ Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.

▪ Download the FEMA mobile app available on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Assistance from FEMA may include funds for temporary housing while you are unable to live in your home, such as rental assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs. Grants are also available for repair or replacement of damage for owner-occupied homes that serve as the household’s primary residence.

Funding may also be available for repair to privately owned access routes, such as driveways, roads, or bridges, that sustained damage which prevents safe entry to a primary home. Other FEMA grants include expenses for the repair or replacement of personal property and vehicles and other serious needs, including for moving and storage, medical, dental, childcare and other miscellaneous disaster-related expenses.

Applicants for disaster assistance should have the following information prior to registration: Social Security number; address of the damaged primary residence; insurance coverage information; current telephone number and mailing address; and bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.

Survivors should keep their contact information updated with FEMA because an agency representative may need to reach you to perform a home inspection or get additional information.

For faster reimbursement, FEMA encourages survivors to request direct deposits of disaster assistance to their financial institution. Survivors should let FEMA know as soon as possible of any changes to their mailing or banking information.

Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.