HONOLULU – If a boat was your primary residence and it was damaged as a result of the Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui, FEMA may be able to help you recover some of those losses.

Living on a boat comes with a unique set of challenges. Live-aboard permits and parking fees, harbor and mooring fees are just a few of the expenses unique to primary residency aboard a boat.

To receive FEMA disaster assistance, you must be prepared to provide the physical and complete address of the dock or marina and the slip or mooring number if the boat is not located on private property. Not providing a slip or mooring number may result in your FEMA application becoming attached to another boat or boats at the same address. And that oversight could cause delays in processing your application.

Also, you cannot use a post office box as your primary address, but it can be used as a mailing address.

Maui survivors are encouraged to apply for federal disaster assistance by Thursday, Nov. 9, if a boat is your primary residence. Here are the ways to apply: 

For the latest information on the Maui wildfire recovery efforts, visit mauicounty.gov, mauirecovers.org and fema.gov/disaster/4724. Follow FEMA on social media: @FEMARegion9 and facebook.com/fema. You may also get disaster assistance information and download applications at sba.gov/hawaii-wildfires.