Mississippi homeowners and renters who sustained damage to their primary property from the March 24 to 25 severe storms, straight-line winds and tornadoes have just nine days left to apply for federal assistance. The deadline is May 25.

FEMA assistance for individuals affected by the March storms may cover rental assistance, temporary housing, home repairs, personal property losses and other disaster-related needs. FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. FEMA assistance is non-taxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other benefits.

Homeowners and renters in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola and Sharkey counties can apply for assistance in the following ways:

• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline is open and help is available from 6 a.m. to midnight Central Time daily in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). To find a center closest to you, go online to: fema.gov/drc.
• Download the free FEMA mobile app for smartphones.