WASHINGTON – More than a month after Helene made landfall, FEMA officials remain on the ground coordinating with local officials in affected states to help guide their recovery.   

Visits included Victoria Salinas, Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Administrator, meeting with officials over several days in North Carolina and Florida. There Salinas and other FEMA officials discussed how the communities were progressing in their recovery and surveyed the effectiveness of modern building codes in minimizing storm-related damage.

FEMA has approved more than $1.3 billion in direct assistance to Hurricanes Helene and Milton survivors. These funds help survivors with housing repairs, personal property replacement and other essential recovery efforts. Additionally, over $1.1 billion has been approved for debris removal and emergency protective measures, which are necessary to save lives, protect public health and prevent further damage to public and private property. 

More than 1,400 FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance team members are in affected neighborhoods across affected states helping survivors apply for assistance and connecting them with additional state, local, federal and voluntary agency resources. 

Also, FEMA now has 76 Disaster Recovery Centers open throughout the hurricane affected communities. Center locations can be found at FEMA.gov/DRC. Centers can provide survivors in-person help with their applications and answer questions they have about available resources to help with their recovery.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Operation Blue Roof which is a free service to homeowners for 25 counties in Florida impacted by Hurricane Milton. Residents can sign-up at www.blueroof.gov or by calling 888-ROOF-BLU (888-766-3258).  The sign-up period deadline is Nov. 5.

FEMA encourages Helene and Milton survivors to apply for disaster assistance online as this remains the quickest way to start your recovery. Individuals can apply for federal assistance by: 

President Joseph R. Biden has approved major disaster declarations in six states--Florida, Georgia North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia--affected by Helene. He has also approved a major disaster declaration for Florida following Hurricane Milton.

These photos highlight response and recovery efforts across states affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.