State/Federal Help Still Available for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
SALEM, Ore. – Resources are still available to assist the survivors of 2020’s devastating wildfires. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management and FEMA continue to work together on assistance with housing, property damage, flood insurance, free counseling, pro-bono legal aid and case management.
State, Local and Community Resources
Free Crisis Counseling is Available: The Safe+Strong Helpline is available for both children and adults who are struggling with stress, anxiety or other disaster-related depression-like symptoms. The website offers free and confidential resources to help wildfire survivors on the road to recovery. For help, call 800-923-4357 or visit https://www.safestrongoregon.org/wildfire.
Debris Hotline: The Debris Management Task Force hotline remains open and available 24/7 for cleanup questions and information. Call 503-934-1700 or find additional information on the new debris cleanup website at:http://wildfire.oregon.gov/cleanup.
Disaster Legal Assistance: Disaster Legal Services is taking questions from wildfire survivors. Go to: oregondisasterlegalservices.org, or call 800-452-7636 or 503-684-3763, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
211info: 211info is a nonprofit organization funded by state and municipal contracts, foundations, United Ways, donations and community partners in Oregon and Southwest Washington. 211info empowers Oregon and Southwest Washington communities by helping people identify, navigate and connect with the local resources they need. To speak with a community information specialist about resources in your area: call 211 or 866-698-6155; text your zip code to 898211; or email help@211info.org. Representatives are available 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Federal Help is Still Available
Keep in touch with FEMA: Applicants should stay in touch with FEMA to ensure the disaster assistance process stays on track. Missing or incorrect information could result in delays in receiving assistance. Update contact information, report additional home damage or a delay in insurance claims in the following ways:
Going online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
Downloading the FEMA app.
Calling the FEMA Helpline 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
Those who use a Relay service, such as a videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, should provide their specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA is able to contact you. Phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number.
While the deadline to apply with FEMA has passed, late applications may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Disaster Case Management: Community members who are enrolled in local/state/tribal and/or federal programs providing case management are encouraged to reach out to and stay in touch with their providers throughout their recovery.
Buy Flood Insurance Now: Residents of Oregon who live in and around areas impacted by the wildfires face an increased risk of flooding for up to several years after the disaster. If you haven’t already purchased a flood insurance policy, it’s important to consider buying it now. It takes 30 days after applying for a new National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance policy to go into effect. For more about information on FEMA’s NFIP, visit FloodSmart.gov. If you are ready to buy flood insurance, go to FloodSmart.gov/flood-insurance/buy. To find a flood insurance provider near you, visit FloodSmart.gov/flood-insurance/providers. Before rebuilding, homeowners should contact their local building official and/or floodplain manager to make sure all building requirements are met.
SBA Disaster Loans: Even though the deadline for homeowners, renters and businesses to apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loan for physical property damage has passed, you can still apply for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). For more information, call 800-659-2955 (TTY: 800-877-8339) 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, email questions to FOCWAssistance@sba.gov or visit sba.gov/disaster. The application deadline for businesses and private nonprofit organizations for a loan for economic injury is June 15, 2021. Applicants can complete an online application at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
Free Home Repair Advice: All Oregon residents – including disaster survivors affected by the wildfires and straight-line winds – can still get personalized mitigation advice from a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Specialist. For information on how to build safer and stronger or to inquire about your flood risk following a fire, email FEMA-R10-MIT@fema.dhs.gov and a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Specialist will respond. This is a free service.
