More than 700 individuals and families began registration but have not completed it
March 7, 2023

    • Redwood City – The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance for damage caused by the storms and flooding that began in late December 2022 is Thursday, March 16, 2023.

    Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing and essential home repairs as well as other serious disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses, transportation, childcare and moving and storage expenses.

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, and the federal Small Business Administration offer a variety of relief grants, loans and other assistance.

    As of March 7, for instance, San Mateo County residents and businesses have been approved for a total of $3,996,000 from the Small Business Administration loan program for storm-related damages.

    “If you or your family or your business suffered damage due to the series of storms that began just before the New Year, I encourage you to apply for federal assistance as soon as possible,” said Mike Callagy, San Mateo County chief executive.

    “There are still 745 families or individuals that registered with FEMA and have not completed the process to determine which program they qualify for,” Callagy said. “Sometimes people realize too late that they should have finished the process.”

    How to get help with the application process:
     

    Visit the Disaster Recovery Center at the San Mateo County Event Center
    Specialists are available to answer questions and assist with the application process.

    Specialists can also direct you to operators who can communicate in English, Spanish and many other languages by request. The centers also offer printed material in multiple languages.

    • Location: San Mateo County Event Center. Enter at the west parking entrance, 2495 S. Delaware St., San Mateo, 94403. (Google map link) Disaster recovery staff are located in Cypress Hall.
    • Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (Closed Sunday, March 12). Note the center will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14.

    Apply Online
    Go to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

    • If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service. Helpline operators are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.
    • To apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications, go to https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. You may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
    Media Contact

    Michelle Durand
    Chief Communications Officer
    mdurand@smcgov.org