South Raleigh News

Governor Josh Stein is urging North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene to be mindful of approaching federal support application deadlines. This includes assistance for individuals and small businesses.

“As folks across western North Carolina continue to rebuild their lives and businesses after Hurricane Helene, it’s important to know what resources are available to support recovery,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Thousands of western North Carolinians have already taken advantage of these federal resources, but there is still time to apply. I encourage everyone to get the assistance they need from these programs.”

The key deadlines include:

- March 8, 2025: Deadline for FEMA Individual Assistance for disaster survivors affected by Tropical Storm Helene. Survivors can apply online at disasterassistance.gov, call 1-800-621-3362, or use the FEMA app.

- March 10, 2025: Extended deadline for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) in 39 North Carolina counties and for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Information is available at des.nc.gov/dua or by calling 919-629-3857 (English) or 919-276-5698 (Spanish).

- March 29, 2025: DUA benefits expiration date.

- April 27, 2025: U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) extends physical damage loan deadline due to a federal funding lapse in 2024. More information can be obtained from SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

- June 30, 2025: SBA filing deadline for economic injury applications.

To apply for assistance, visit a Disaster Recovery Center location via fema.gov/drc or contact FEMA through DisasterAssistance.gov or the helpline at 800-621-3362 between the hours of 7 a.m. and midnight.