Over the past two weeks, people affected by Hurricane Helene’s destructive journey through the Carolinas have sought help and worked to reclaim their property.

Many will likely need or benefit from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

But how do they apply for help?

How to Apply for FEMA Assistance

Applying to FEMA is easy.

Those in need can call the FEMA Helpline at 800.621.3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov.

According to FEMA’s website, calls to the hotline are accepted from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

People can also download the FEMA app or apply in person at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Freetown Community Center, 200 Alice Avenue, Greenville, South Carolina.

More: South Carolina County Day provides Greenville residents with access to recovery support in one location

What do you need to apply for FEMA?

When applying for FEMA assistance, DisasterAssistance.gov recommends preparing the following:

• A social security number

• Insurance information (know what type of insurance coverage you have)

• Damage information (including the type of disaster and affected property)

• Financial information (household gross income at the time of the disaster)

• Contact information

What is FEMA doing?

FEMA is a federal agency that helps people across the country during storms and other natural disasters.

The organization employs over 20,000 people nationwide and is headquartered in Washington, DC, with 10 regional offices.

FEMA assists local governments and individuals in identifying and managing community resources.

FEMA also provides assistance before, during, and after emergencies caused by natural disasters.

More hurricane relief in South Carolina

In addition to applying for assistance from FEMA, the State of South Carolina offers a number of resources on its Office of Resilience website.

There, people in the Upstate can find information about:

• Loans from the US Small Business Administration

• Hurricane Helene Information Hotline: 1.866.246.0133

• Volunteer cleanup hotline: 1.844.965.1286

• Department of Public Health Telephone: 1.855.472.3432

• Case management and assistance connecting to recovery resources: 1.803.542.2937

Kaitlyn McCormick can be reached at [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe to stay up to date with the news you need.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How to Apply, Get FEMA and Recovery Assistance by Helene