Rhode Island Recovery Well Under Way One Month After Declaration

CRANSTON, RI. – One month after the president issued a federal disaster declaration for the state of Rhode Island for the severe storms and flooding that took place December 17-21, 2023 and January 9-13, 2024, more than $5.8 million has been approved to help 1,305 applicants help in Kent, Providence and Washington counties. Disaster recovery specialists have been in the field, visiting communities to make sure affected residents receive all assistance for which they may be eligible. 

As of April 19, 423 applicants were approved for a total amount of $1,756,322 in FEMA assistance for the storms that took place December 17-19, 2023. Of that total:

• $1,703,898 in FEMA housing grants to help pay for home repair, home replacement and rental assistance for temporary housing.
• $52,423 in Other Needs Assistance grants to help pay for replacement of personal property and other serious storm-related needs such as moving and storage fees, transportation, childcare, and medical and dental expenses.

As of April 19, 882 applicants were approved for a total amount of $4,094,430 in FEMA assistance for the storms that took place January 9-13, 2024. Of that total:

• $3,956,501 in FEMA housing grants to help pay for home repair, home replacement and rental assistance for temporary housing.
• $137,929 in Other Needs Assistance grants to help pay for replacement of personal property and other serious storm-related needs such as moving and storage fees, transportation, childcare, and medical and dental expenses.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) have been visiting to storm-affected neighborhoods in every designated county to help residents apply, identify and address immediate and emerging needs, and make referrals to other local, state and voluntary agencies for additional support. In total, DSA personnel had 2,603 interactions with residents and visited more than 22,000 households and 544 businesses to help survivors apply for assistance. 

In addition, five recovery centers were opened in the affected counties to provide information for residents who prefer face-to-face assistance in applying to FEMA, updating applications or for follow-up questions. Representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and state agencies are available at these centers. 

All centers are accessible to people with disabilities and access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology equipment. If you need a reasonable accommodation or sign language interpreter, please let someone at the center know.  

Currently, the following recovery centers are operating: 

• Coventry Town Hall Annex, 1675 Flat River Rd, Coventry, RI 02816
  Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am– 6:30 pm, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

• William Winsor Elementary School, 562 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI 02808
  Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am– 6:30 pm, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Operating through: April 24

   

• Cumberland Public Library (tents outside), 1464 Diamond Hill Road, Cumberland, RI 02864
  Hours: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Inclement weather could change the hours. 
  Operating through May 4.

   

• Knightsville Manor (Community Room), 85 Briggs Street, Cranston, Rhode Island 02920
  Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Operating from April 22 – May 4.

Three ways to apply for FEMA assistance include:

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov;
• Download the FEMA App; or,
• Call 1-800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or another relay service, give FEMA your number for that service when you call. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.

The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is May 20, 2024.

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to, youtube.com/watch?v= WZGpWI2RCNw.

For the latest information visit 4765 | FEMA.gov or 4766 | FEMA.gov. Follow FEMA on X, formerly known as Twitter, at twitter.com/femaregion1 and at facebook.com/fema.

For updates on the Rhode Island response and recovery, follow the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency on Twitter at twitter.com/RhodeIslandEMA, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RhodeIslandEMA, or visit www.riema.ri.gov.