FEMA Personal Property/Septic/Well Information
- Personal Property Items Eligible for Repair or Replacement After a Disaster
If you live in Buncombe, Haywood or Transylvania County and had personal property damaged or destroyed by Tropical Storm Fred, FEMA may provide financial assistance under the Other Needs Assistance provision of the Individuals and Households Program.
The assistance is intended to meet the basic needs of the household, not to restore all personal property items to a pre-disaster condition.
FEMA assistance to repair and replace personal property falls within the following categories:
- Appliances: Includes standard household appliances, such as a refrigerator, washing machine, etc.
- Clothing: Essential clothing needed due to overall loss, damage, or contamination.
- Room furnishings: Standard furnishings found in a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and living room.
- Essential Tools: Tools and equipment required by an employer as a condition of employment and items required as a condition of an applicant’s or household member’s education.
- Accessible Items: FEMA also provides assistance for damaged personal property items required for qualified applicants with disabilities.
Applicants must meet the following conditions to receive Personal Property Assistance:
- The item needs to be repaired or replaced due to disaster damage.
- The occupants of the household have an unmet disaster-related need for the damaged item. FEMA may not provide assistance if the applicant can meet that need with another similar item in their possession or available to the household.
- The item was owned and being used by occupants of the household.
- FEMA does not provide assistance for furnishings and/or appliances provided by a landlord.
- Items used by guests and relatives who were not members of the pre-disaster household are not eligible for assistance.
To apply for FEMA disaster assistance, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, call 800-621-3362, or use the FEMA app for smartphones. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time, seven days a week. The deadline for applications is Nov. 8, 2021.
For more information about Tropical Storm Fred recovery in North Carolina, visit fema.gov/disaster/4617 and ncdps.gov/TSFred. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.
- Wells and Septic Systems Damaged by Tropical Storm Fred
Residents of Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties who lost access to water through their private wells or had damage to their septic system caused by Tropical Storm Fred may be eligible for financial assistance under FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program.
What type of assistance is available?
For private wells and septic systems, FEMA may provide assistance or reimbursement for the cost of a professional, licensed technician’s estimate of the repair or replacement of these items.
You also may receive assistance for the actual repair or replacement cost of these items not typically covered by homeowner’s insurance.
If you have applied for FEMA assistance and have not had a home inspection, you should call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. At the time of your inspection, let the FEMA inspector know you have a private well and/or septic system that may have been damaged by the storm.
If the damage is determined to be caused by the disaster, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance.
If you have already had an inspection and damage to the well or septic system wasn’t reported, contact the FEMA Helpline to receive instructions about how to amend your application.
For more information about Tropical Storm Fred recovery in North Carolina, visit fema.gov/disaster/4617 and ncdps.gov/TSFred. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.
