As disaster survivor assistance teams exhaust door-to-door and in-person disaster recovery assistance in Henry County, the Henry County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in rural Kewanee will close at 7 PM on Friday, October 25, 2024. While full-time in-person support concludes, assistance remains accessible by phone, online, and through the Henry County OEM. Time is running out to apply for FEMA and SBA assistance at the FEMA State Disaster Recovery Center, but FEMA teams will work closely with county emergency management agencies to ensure Illinois residents living in one of the seven designated counties can still apply for assistance, update their application, and speak to a FEMA specialist.
Henry County OEM is located at 4424 Walter Payton Memorial Highway, south of Kewanee on Highway 34/78. Henry County residents have until November 19, 2024, to apply for FEMA and SBA aid from the July storms. FEMA aid is limited, so the Small Business Administration provides low-interest loans to cover the gap between insurance and FEMA aid for business and residential properties. The low-interest loans can be spread out over years to allow lower payments, and you don’t make the first payment for 12 months.
DSA teams will never ask for or accept money and will always be wearing a FEMA identification badge with a photograph. A FEMA shirt, vest, or jacket is not proof of identity. While helping someone apply, they will ask for personal information, including social security numbers, annual income, and bank information. Residents are encouraged to ask for identification before providing any personal information. They can also call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify a FEMA visit is legitimate.
To apply without visiting a center, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA mobile app, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as video relay telephone service, or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.
For even more information about the disaster recovery operation in Illinois, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4819. If your farm sustained damage in the July storms, the local Farm Bureau and the USDA may be able to help with disaster assistance. Find more information here.
