Disaster and Severe Weather Impacts Assistance Resources

Note: Additional resources may be available due to ongoing severe storms and the impacts to individuals, businesses, communities and producers. We will continue to share resources as they are identified. There may also be additional disaster declarations.

FEMA Assistance Registration Deadline July 15: The Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in Washington and Douglas counties closed operations in June. Nebraskans that are eligible for Individual Assistance can still register for FEMA Support. The deadline to register is July 15. Visit https://disasterassistance.gov or call 800-621-FEMA (3362) to register or check the status of a previous application. This site is available in both English and Spanish languages.

Washington County Long Term Recovery (LTR): This is a 501c3 non-profit organization that was established in Washington County to help facilitate recovery services to people in the community. These organizations help meet the unmet needs of individuals and families affected by disaster events. If you know of people with unmet needs, please help connect them with this LTR. Email: wclongtermrecovery@gmail.com | Phone: 402-426-8881 | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WashCoLongTermRecovery

Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance: SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners and renters recover from declared disasters. These loans cover losses not covered by insurance or from funds received by FEMA for both personal and business. SBA loans also cover business operating expenses that could have been met if the disaster had not occurred. Applicants can go online to register at https://sba.gov/disaster. They can also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. The deadline to apply for property damage is July 15, 2024. The deadline to apply for economic injury is February 3, 2025.

Report of Destroyed Real Property Due On or Before July 15: For real property that has suffered significant damage as a result of a calamity occurring on or after January 1 and before July 1 of the current assessment year, the property owner may file a Report of Destroyed Real Property, Form 425 with the county assessor and the county clerk on or before Monday, July 15. The report allows the county board of equalization to adjust the assessed value to reflect the damage done to the property. Learn more: Nebraska Department of Revenue Public Assessment website. Not limited to locations with disaster declarations.

USDA – Farm Service Agency: Programs are available to help farmers, ranchers, communities and businesses impacted by natural disasters.
• Disaster Assistance Programs - https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index
• Farmers.gov Protection and Recovery Resources - https://www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery

2-1-1 – United Way of the Midlands: is a one-stop source of information for people in need of help. They do not have to be in a location with a disaster declaration. This is a single point of contact to help people connect to health and human services programs, community services, disaster services and government programs. People can dial 2-1-1 or text their zip code to 898211. There are additional contact resources online at https://ne211.org/
• Nebraska and Iowa Tornado Relief Fund. Supports individuals and families impacted by tornadoes with $1,000 of emergency financial assistance. Current priority assistance for support is to households experiencing severe damage or complete destruction of their primary residence in Douglas, Lancaster and Washington counties in Nebraska as well as targeted Iowa counties. People can also donate to this relief fund on the site. Website: https://unitedwaymidlands.org/tornadorelief/emergencyfund/

Disaster Distress Helpline (800-985-5990) - SAMHSA: This free 24/7 national hotline provides year-round disaster crisis counseling and support. Disaster survivors, first responders, people working rescue and recovery, parents, caregivers, members of the faith community and more can reach out for support. Call for yourself or on behalf of someone else who may be struggling. Multilingual services are available.