More than 150 people have died in six southeastern states since Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 26. The hurricane left a path of destruction from Florida’s Gulf Coast through Georgia and North Carolina and into parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia.
A Sept. 30 Facebook post from The White House outlined the Biden-Harris administration's response efforts to Hurricane Helene, which included major disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Those declarations give residents in those states immediate access to FEMA assistance, the post notes.
Several VERIFY readers asked why Georgia isn't on this list and if that means people in Georgia aren’t able to get federal money for hurricane relief.
THE QUESTION
Can people in Georgia get federal hurricane relief funds?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, people in Georgia can get federal hurricane relief funds.
WHAT WE FOUND
A Sept. 30 Facebook post from the White House listed three states where people are eligible for funds: North Carolina, Florida and South Carolina. Georgia was granted the same status the next day, and residents there are now eligible for assistance. The White House posted an updated list of eligible residents on Oct. 1, clarifying which residents are now eligible for relief.
According to the White House and FEMA, federal assistance is available in over 30 counties in Georgia. On Oct. 1, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed that FEMA included these counties in its federal disaster declaration.
“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the White House said.
In addition to individual relief for residents, the state of Georgia, local governments and nonprofit organizations are also eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds for Hurricane Helene relief, according to the White House.
In the event of a natural disaster, state and local governments respond first. If additional assistance is needed, the governor can request federal assistance and the president can declare a federal disaster to activate FEMA’s support. Once the declaration is made, residents in affected areas can apply for federal relief funds.
Initially, Georgia was provided with limited resources when Biden issued a state of emergency; when a state of emergency is declared, federal support is focused on property, public health and safety. Following the disaster declaration, additional resources are extended to include support for individuals seeking assistance beyond local and state departments.
Since the storm made landfall on Sept. 26, FEMA and other federal agencies have responded to the disaster in at least seven states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia.
People affected by the storm to apply for federal FEMA assistance: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET daily. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most 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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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