Queens residents with homes damaged by Tropical Storm Irene are running out of time to qualify for federal disaster relief.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is reminding residents that the last day to register for aid is October 31.
“Registration keeps open the possibility of a wide range of assistance,” said Philip Parr, FEMA federal coordinating officer. “If your insurance coverage comes up short, or other damage appears later, you need to be registered with FEMA to be considered for disaster assistance.
Residents can register by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Interested applicants can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
After registering, an independent inspector contracted by FEMA assesses the damage and files a report, which is then inspected by FEMA to determine if the resident is eligible for relief funds.
Tropical Storm Irene hit New York City in late August, and while city residents were spared from some of the devastating flooding and destruction seen upstate and in New Jersey, many trees were lost and homes flooded.
