As part of continued efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene, Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are visiting homes in Beaufort County and canvassing the area to help local residents with their FEMA applications.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are visiting homes in areas impacted by #Helene to help Beaufort County residents apply for assistance and assess any emerging needs.

Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are in Beaufort County to:

• Help residents apply for assistance
• Assess and report critical needs

Facts about Disaster Survivor Assistance teams

If a FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) team visits a residence, they will never ask for a fee or accept money for disaster assistance or help filling out applications. DSA teams will have a FEMA identification badge with a photograph. Ask to see ID badges. A FEMA shirt or jacket is not proof of identity. 

FEMA DSA team members will respect privacy postings, so if a resident has signs in their yard that state ‘No Trespassing’ or ‘No Solicitation’, the FEMA DSA team will not attempt to visit that home. For their safety, DSA teams will also not visit a home that has dogs running free outside. 

DSA team members may offer residents the opportunity to use a tablet computer to register or ask to enter information on their behalf. Residents will not be required to share personal information unless they wish a DSA team member to help them with an in-person registration or answer specific questions about their FEMA application status. Residents are reminded to ask for federal identification before providing personal information.

Learn more about disaster assistance teams here or watch this quick PSA.

The quickest way to apply for disaster assistance is to go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For a video with American Sign Language, voiceover and open captions about how to apply for FEMA assistance, select this link.