Assistance Now
Legal Aid of North Carolina can help immediately after the storm:
- Provide survivors with information about their rights
- Answer questions about insurance and claims
- Advocate for people when they are applying for recovery fund assistance and appealing decisions
Benefits and Appeals / FEMA
- Access assistance
- Appeal decisions
- Recoupment
Long-Term Support
Housing
Homeowners – Assistance with insurance policies, recovery appeals, proving property ownership, avoiding foreclosure and mortgage issues, providing information on rights, and more.
Renters – Recovery appeals, evictions, lease terminations, landlord/tenant disputes, understanding renters rights and insurance policies, providing additional legal help during disaster recovery, and more.
Assist Long-Term Recovery Groups
- 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporation
- Provide general guidance to groups navigating the disaster relief ecosystem
Support Victims of Fraud
- Resources and assistance to avoid fraud
- Help fraud victims file a claim
Self-Help Resource Library
Check out the resource library on Legal Aid’s website at legalaidnc.org/disaster that includes 50+ videos with information on a range of disaster topics including replacing lost documents, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, property taxes, and more.
Call the Helpline or Apply for Aid Online
We encourage you to call the Legal Aid NC Helpline at (866) 219-5262 to learn more about how we may be able to assist you with disaster recovery. Find additional help online at www.legalaidnc.org/get-help
Legal Aid NC Helpline
Toll-Free: 1 (866) 219-LANC (5262)
8:30 AM – 1:30 PM, Monday – Friday
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Monday & Thursday
Apply for free help with civil (non-criminal) legal issues. Those 60 and older should call the Senior Helpline.
Applying for FEMA Aid
FEMA has declared Individual Assistance (IA) for Hurricane Helene for 25 western NC counties and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. What does this mean for you? It means that you can apply for disaster assistance from FEMA to help offset your disaster-related expenses.
The current deadline to apply for FEMA aid is November 27, 2024. We recommend applying as soon as possible to receive prompt assistance with disaster needs.
As of 9/30/24, residents in the following 25 counties are eligible for FEMA aid:
- Alexander
- Alleghany
- Ashe
- Avery
- Buncombe
- Burke
- Caldwell
- Catawba
- Clay
- Cleveland
- Gaston
- Haywood
- Henderson
- Jackson
- Lincoln
- Macon
- Madison
- McDowell
- Mitchell
- Polk
- Rutherford
- Transylvania
- Watauga
- Wilkes
- Yancey
You can apply online at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or by telephone at (800) 621-3362. Otherwise, you can download the FEMA weather app from Google Play Store or the Apple Store and you can apply for assistance on the app and upload receipts. Whichever method you choose, the form has a few questions that are tricky. To avoid delay, please follow the following tips:
1. One of the questions that FEMA will ask when you register is “Do You Have Emergency Needs”? This means during your evacuation or since staying at home during the disaster, do you need help with Gas, Medication, Food (meals, water, had no power and everything spoils), Shelter (you are staying with friends, family or in a hotel); Clothing; or Durable Medical Equipment (oxygen, walkers, cane, glasses, all major equipment, etc). If this is true, say “YES” to this question. That will result in your receiving Displacement / Critical Needs Assistance, which is $750.
2. When asked if your home is/was accessible, answer “NO” if there was debris, tree branches, continued flooding, loss of power, damage or destruction that prevented you from staying there after Helene. This question is asking whether you can stay at your home or apartment and will trigger the ability for you to receive assistance to pay for hotels or provide funding to use while you stay with family or friends.
3. When asked if utilities are out, say “YES” if you incurred costs due to a utility outage, even if your utilities have since been turned back on. This allows you to receive reimbursement for costs such as generator fuel or motel expenses.
4. When asked “Are you willing to relocate” say “YES” if you cannot live in your home due to damage, loss of power, etc. This question means you are willing to stay in a hotel or apartment temporarily, and triggers that funding for you. It is not asking if you are willing to move away from your home permanently.
5. If you bought or buy a generator, FEMA will reimburse you up to $629, but you must submit the receipt. If you bought a chainsaw, FEMA will reimburse you up to $219. Again, you need to provide the receipt. Save your receipts.
LANC Resource Library
Learn more about the Disaster Relief Project