The agency responsible for managing emergencies is referred to as FEMA. The agency oversees the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, and responding to disasters.
A major part of FEMA’s role is to help people recover from disasters. FEMA offers federal grants to help victims with temporary housing, emergency repairs, personal property loss, funeral costs, medical expenses, and other associated costs.
Apply Before Deadline
Residents of South Dakota impacted by the severe cyclones this summer in Davison, Lincoln, Turner, and Union counties have a two-week deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance. The deadline is October 15, 2024.
Application for Disaster Relief
- Check out the Disaster Recovery Center. To find Disaster Recovery Centers near you, go to www.fema.gov/drc or send a text with “DRC” followed by your zip code to 43362.
- For online assistance, please go to DisasterAssistance.gov for English or DisasterAssistance.gov/es for Spanish.
- Access the FEMA mobile app in both English and Spanish.
- For assistance, reach out to the disaster helpline at 800-621-3362. Available daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., until further updates are provided. Multilingual operators are available. Shorter wait times are expected in the mornings and evenings. FEMA can acquire the phone number of anyone who uses a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service, or other comparable services.
Latest Updates on Recovery Efforts
- Federal agencies have given the green light to $12,866,243.04 in grants and loans to support recovery efforts following President Biden’s major disaster declaration for South Dakota on August 15 (as of Sept. 29).
- Applications for assistance have been submitted to FEMA by 1,310 individuals across Davison, Lincoln, Turner, and Union counties. FEMA has approved funding for the Individuals and Households program, amounting to $8,255,543.04.
- The total is split into $5,617,087.97 allocated for Housing Assistance, covering home repairs and rental costs, and $2,638,455.07 designated for Other Needs Assistance, which includes repairs or replacements of personal property, vehicle repairs or replacements, moving expenses, and various disaster-related needs.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $4,610,700 in low-interest disaster loans for small businesses, renters, and homeowners.
Stay in Touch with FEMA
If you have applied for disaster assistance, it’s important to keep in touch with FEMA and ensure your contact information is up to date. FEMA might need more information from you to determine your eligibility or to provide assistance. Be aware that calls from FEMA might come from an unfamiliar number on your caller ID.
