FEMA deadline for Irene benefits in New York is today

If you were affected by Tropical Storm Irene and live in the Catskills, today -- October 31, 2011 -- is your last chance to apply for federal disaster aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Phone lines will close at 10pm tonight. Call 800-621-3362 to register.

From a FEMA press release:

It’s important that those who may need to register for aid do so as soon as possible. Registrations cannot be accepted after the October 31, 2011 deadline.

“If you are waiting for an insurance settlement, it is still necessary to register with FEMA before the October 31 deadline in order to be considered for assistance,” said Philip E. Parr, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer.

To register, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Phone lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, seven days a week until further notice. People with hearing disabilities can use the TTY number, 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled mobile device or smartphone at m.fema.gov. Follow the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”

The registration period and the deadline apply to the major federal disaster declaration signed by President Barack Obama on August 31 that enabled residents and business owners in Albany, Bronx, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Herkimer, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Warren, Washington and Westchester counties to register for federal recovery aid.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.