Cook County homeowners and renters with uninsured or under insured losses from the Sept. 17-18, 2023 severe storms and flooding have until Friday, Feb. 9 to apply for assistance. The application deadline was recently extended by three weeks to allow more time for affected residents to apply. More than $31 million in FEMA assistance has already been approved. FEMA’s assistance programs are designed to help you with basic, critical needs such as a safe, sanitary and accessible place to live. Assistance includes rental assistance, lodging expenses reimbursement, and home repair and replacement assistance.  Apply one of four ways:

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov. 

• Use the FEMA mobile app. 

• Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available. If you use video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. 

• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. The centers serve as one-stop shops for survivors who need one-on-one help. Survivors can visit any center for assistance. To find center locations and current hours, visit FEMA.gov/DRC. 

For more information about Cook County’s recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4749.