Residents of the 63 Georgia counties declared disaster areas from Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby have until Feb. 7 to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. In metro Atlanta, only residents in Fulton and Newton counties qualify for the aid.
The Fulton County Disaster Recovery Center recently opened to help residents with applications and other needs related to last year’s storms. The center is at the Evelyn G. Lowery Library, 3665 Cascade Road SW in Atlanta. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday until Feb. 7.
At the Disaster Recovery Center, Fulton residents can get help applying for assistance on a walk-in basis, said FEMA spokesman Mario Boone. Staff can also help residents through the process of appealing a FEMA denial of assistance.
Other resources include a free legal assistance program for residents to resolve difficulties with landlords, mortgage companies or contractors, or help in replacing documents destroyed in the disasters. The toll-free phone number for the legal hotline is 1-866-584-8027 or 404-527-8793. Fulton residents do not need to apply for FEMA disaster assistance to receive the legal services.
FEMA also provides a helpline for mental health concerns for residents under the disaster designation. That number is 1-800-985-5990.
The agency coordinates with the Small Business Administration to provide help obtaining low-interest loans for businesses’ recovery needs.
Hurricane Helene did not hit metro Atlanta as hard as some other parts of Georgia, but many Fulton residents sustained damages from flooding or fallen trees and limbs.
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