Ten more municipalities that were affected by the recent earthquakes that began in December have been designated as eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.
At the request of the Government of Puerto Rico, FEMA extended eligibility for Individual Assistance to Adjuntas, Cabo Rojo, Corozal, Jayuya, Lajas, Lares, Maricao, San Germán, San Sebastián and Villalba under the presidential disaster declaration of Jan. 16.
The new municipalities join the original six that were designated for Individual Assistance: Guánica, Guayanilla, Peñuelas, Ponce, Utuado and Yauco. Residents of all 16 municipalities are now eligible to apply for help under FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.
The deadline to apply for FEMA’s Individual Assistance is March 16, 2020.
If you suffered damage during the recent earthquakes and you are a resident of one of the 16 municipalities, you can apply now for help. Disaster assistance for homeowners and renters may include grants to help pay for temporary housing and essential home repairs as well as disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses.
Keep in mind that you must register with FEMA to be considered for FEMA assistance.
FEMA grants can supplement what is available from the Government of Puerto Rico and therefore require a separate application.
There are several ways to register:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov or disasterassistance.gov/es for Spanish.
- By phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available. Press 2 for Spanish and press 3 for other languages. Telephone registration is available from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
- Use the FEMA Mobile App or en español for Spanish.
- In person with a FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team member. Teams are going door-to-door near your home and are also visiting shelters.
American Sign Language interpreters are available, either in person or via a Video Remote Interpreter app.
- For more information on Puerto Rico’s disaster recovery, visit the Government of Puerto Rico, www.fema.gov/disaster/4473, www.twitter.com/femaregion2 and Facebook: www.facebook.com/femapuertorico.