Assistance for Severe Weather and Flooding that occurred in December 2023 and January 2024 Residents of Kent, Providence, and Washington counties, who were affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred between December 17-19, 2023, and between January 9-13, 2024, can apply for federal assistance. Homeowners and renters who received property loss or damages by either disaster in those counties have until May 20, 2024, to apply. When applying for assistance, you must describe which damage(s) happened on which date to ensure you’re applying under the correct disaster.FEMA Assistance - There are several ways for homeowners and renters to apply.1. Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at one of the following locations: a. Cumberland Public Library, 1464 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland, RI 02864 (Open: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays) b. CCRI, Lincoln Campus, (Room 1304), 1762 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln, RI 02865 (Open: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.) c. Coventry Town Hall Annex, 1675 Flat River Road, Coventry, RI 02879 (Open: 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.) 2. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Help is available in most languages. 3. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish).4. Download the FEMA mobile app (also in Spanish) at Google Play or the Apple App Store. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube SBA Assistance - Ways to apply for low-interest disaster loans available to businesses and residents in Rhode Island 1. Visit the Business Recovery Center (BRC) at: North Providence Public Safety Complex 1835 Mineral Spring Avenue North Providence, RI 02904 - Hours of operation: 9 a.m.– 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 2. Apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. 3. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 4. Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov To view an accessible video on how to apply for SBA visit Reasons to apply for a SBA Loan.
State of Rhode Island Awarded Federal Disaster Declaration External AffairsRhode Island Emergency Management AgencyPress Release State of Rhode Island Awarded Federal Disaster DeclarationFrom Severe Weather in January 2024Cranston, RI – On May 9, 2024, President Joseph Biden approved Rhode Island's request to include Public Assistance (PA) for the Major Disaster Declaration from the severe storms and flooding event from January 9, 2004 – January 13, 2024. The Declaration makes federal funding available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) PA Program. Eligible applicants from Kent, Newport, and Washington Counties can apply. Applicants must prepare and submit an official request for determination of eligibility from FEMA.Eligible municipalities, state agencies, tribal communities, and some private non-profit organizations in the listed counties can apply for reimbursement of costs incurred before, during, and after the severe weather event in January. These costs may include but are not limited to, storm preparedness, debris removal, overtime costs for personnel due to work associated with the weather event, repairs to weather-damaged buildings and infrastructure, and projects to reduce the impact of future damage from similar weather-related events."Whenever and wherever severe weather strikes, my Administration is prepared and ready to support affected residents and communities," said Governor McKee. "Thanks to President Biden and FEMA, these federal funds can help Rhode Islanders and businesses get their lives back on track and help our state move forward.""The FEMA PA Program enables municipalities, state agencies, and certain private non-profit organizations to request reimbursement for the expenses incurred in repairing damages caused by the severe weather event that took place between January 9, 2024, and January 13, 2024," said Marc Pappas, the Director of RIEMA. "The RIEMA Recovery Branch, with the support and assistance of local and state partners, worked diligently to gather and review damage assessments and submitted a request for federal assistance to FEMA. We are grateful and appreciative to have received approval."Additional information will be provided at local Applicant Briefing sessions. The sessions are currently being scheduled with local officials. For updates on Rhode Island’s recovery operations, follow the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency on Twitter (X) twitter.com/RhodeIslandEMA and Facebook facebook.com/RhodeIslandEMA or visit or visit www.riema.ri.gov.For questions, please contact RIEMA at (401) 946-9996.# # #Contact: Armand Randolph (401) 641-8269www.riema.ri.gov PR: 0524-01
Resources For Rhode Island Citizens This section contains important resources for Rhode Island individuals and families regarding emergencies and disasters. Preparedness Cybersecurity Evacuation Prepare Now Special Needs Emergency Registry State Emergency Response Commission Threats & Hazards Response Local Contacts Other State EMAs State Contacts Volunteer Mitigation Flood Insurance Floodplain Mapping Floodplain Regulations Glossary & FAQ Hazard Mitigation Recovery Individual Assistance Additional Resources Training Below is a list of free online courses that FEMA offers to the public and are designed for citizens: IS-10: Animals in Disasters: Awareness & Preparedness IS-22: An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness IS-55: Household Hazardous Materials IS-111: Livestock in Disasters IS-230: Fundamentals of Emergency Management IS-279: Engineering Principles & Practices for Retrofitting Flood-Prone Residential Structures ICS-315: CERT Training: The Incident Command System IS-317: Intro to Community Emergency Response Teams IS-325: Earthquake Basics: Science, Risk, & Mitigation IS-360: Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents IS-362: Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools IS-393: Intro to Hazard Mitigation IS-394: Protecting Your Home or Small Business From Disaster IS-909: Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone Checklist Disaster Supply Kit PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Evacuation Plan & Checklist Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Individual Assistance Checklist PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Family Emergency Communications Plan PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Preparedness Guides Drought Preparedness Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Earthquake Safety Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Extreme Heat Safety Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Flood Preparedness Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Hazardous Materials Safety Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Hurricane Preparedness Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Pandemic Preparedness Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Power Failure Preparedness Guideline PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Tornado Safety Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Wildfire Safety Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Winter Weather Preparedness Guide PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Emergency Care Sites Cooling Centers Warming Centers
Preparedness Cybersecurity Evacuation Prepare Now Special Needs Emergency Registry State Emergency Response Commission Threats & Hazards
Mitigation Flood Insurance Floodplain Mapping Floodplain Regulations Glossary & FAQ Hazard Mitigation