Hurricane Michael Financial Assistance

Wednesday, May 1st, 2019 will be the final day for Hurricane Michael survivors to apply for the American Red Cross 2018 financial assistance program. After May 1st, no new enrollments will be accepted, but those who have already applied will have until Wednesday, May 8^th, 2019 to upload any necessary documents.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, the American Red Cross provided shelter, food, relief supplies, and comfort to thousands of disaster survivors. The Red Cross also provided financial assistance to help severely affected households purchase immediate necessities like groceries and clothing. This first, immediate phase of assistance has closed. No new clients can be enrolled at this time.

The Red Cross has begun a second phase of financial assistance to people in Florida and Georgia whose homes were severely impacted by Hurricane Michael. This financial assistance will allow people to make their own decisions and prioritize their family’s recovery needs. Funds can help families replace household items, offset transportation costs, or support other recovery needs.

If you are a Hurricane Michael survivor and have already received financial assistance from the American Red Cross, you do not need to do anything at this time. We will be reaching back out to you directly. Please be patient as we are we are attempting to reach over 10,000 households with a second phase of individual recovery assistance. You can expect to be notified shortly via text or email.
If you have not yet received financial assistance from the Red Cross, but your home sustained major damage or was destroyed as a result of Hurricane Michael, you may be eligible for financial assistance. The fastest and easiest option to determine eligibility and to enroll in the Basic Assistance Program is by calling 1800-REDCROSS and selecting option 5. If you are having trouble or are uncomfortable enrolling over the phone, you may call your local Red Cross office during normal business hours to speak to someone. The local Red Cross office may have staff available daily, or by appointment, to assist with enrollment.
If you are a survivor of Hurricane Michael, but your home was neither destroyed nor sustained major damage, please call 211 or visit https://redcrossdisasterresources.auntbertha.com to learn what services you may be eligible for.

Learn More About Eligibility Criteria

Eligible households must meet all of the criteria below:

Primary, pre-disaster residence was destroyed or sustained major damage from Hurricane Michael (verified by FEMA or the Red Cross); and
Proof that the applicant is the legal owner, renter or lessee of a primary, pre-disaster residence located in Florida or Georgia; and
Head of household:

responds to the personalized email or text message sent directly to them; and
indicates a gap in their recovery which could be met with additional financial assistance.

Please be patient, it will take some time to reach everyone as we are attempting to contact thousands of households.

All Red Cross services, including financial assistance, are available to whoever needs it, regardless of nationality, race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. The Red Cross is a charity, not a government agency, and people do not need to be American citizens to receive our assistance.

If you’ve received an email or text from the Red Cross about the financial assistance program for Hurricane Michael and have questions, please call 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767) and select option 5. Please make sure you have your case number available.

For questions about additional services available to you, call 2-1-1 or visit redcrossdisasterresources.auntbertha.com

Frequently Asked Questions

I got an email/text from the Red Cross offering Hurricane Michael recovery assistance, is this a scam?

No, it isn’t. The Red Cross will send personalized emails and text messages to eligible households by using information already collected through the Red Cross damage assessment process or verified by FEMA through the inspection process. People who receive an email or text from the Red Cross that need emergency financial assistance should follow the instructions provided in the personalized message.

The Red Cross will not ask for your social security number to provide Hurricane Michael assistance. If you receive a communication requesting such information, you should not provide it and report the request to local law enforcement.

What does “major damage” or “destroyed” mean?

Major damage is indicated by significant structural damage to a residence that requires extensive repairs. This may include substantial roof damage, walls or foundation damage. A residence that is destroyed is one that is a total loss or with damage so extensive that repair is not feasible.

What documentation is required to receive Red Cross assistance?

To qualify for Red Cross financial assistance, heads of household may be asked to verify their identity, residency and/or proof of damage. Documentation to validate identity can include U.S. or foreign passport, government issued driver’s license or ID, permanent resident card or consular identification. Documents to validate proof of residence can include a deed, a mortgage statement, a lease or rental agreement, on property letterhead, signed by landlord, a monthly utility bill or bank statement, dated between July 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018, or an official document such as mail from a child’s school or vehicle insurance card, dated between July 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018.

My neighbor was contacted by the Red Cross about emergency financial assistance, but I wasn’t. Why didn’t you contact me?

The Red Cross will send personalized Basic Assistance Program invitation emails and text messages directly to households whose homes were officially inspected and confirmed to have sustained major damage or were destroyed. There are many homes in this category, and it will take a while to reach everyone. If your home sustained major damage or was destroyed as a result of Hurricane Michael, but you did not receive a text or email, please call 1-800-REDCROSS, option 5 to determine if you are eligible and to hear more information on enrolling. If you are having trouble or are uncomfortable enrolling over the phone, you may call your local Red Cross office during normal business hours to speak to someone. The local Red Cross office may have staff available daily, or by appointment, to assist with enrollment.

I received an email/text but my neighbor didn’t, can I forward my email to him?

No, you can’t. The communication can only be used once and only by the original recipient. If you forward the email, whomever you forward it to will not be able to access assistance as the link can only be used once.

By accepting Red Cross assistance will this affect my eligibility for FEMA assistance or the amount I will receive?

No, receiving financial support from the Red Cross will not affect your eligibility for any government assistance, including FEMA, or the amount of funds you receive. In fact, the Red Cross strongly encourages those affected to register with FEMA, as federal assistance is available. Apply for federal assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

Why is the Red Cross giving different amounts of financial assistance to qualified households in the Hurricane Michael Basic Assistance Program than other recovery programs, such as Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Florence?

For major disasters, our ability to offer financial assistance is determined by evaluating the level of resources made available to the Red Cross by the generosity of our donors and the overall cost of conducting the response operation. To the extent that the level of available resources exceeds the cost of response operations, funds become available to provide financial assistance. Since each disaster has its own unique circumstances, the cost of response and availability of donated resources is typically different for each major disaster. In the case of Hurricane Michael, the Red Cross is able to provide a second phase of financial assistance to eligible clients to help support ongoing, longer-term recovery needs.

Asistencia de emergencia

Tras el paso del Huracán Michael, la Cruz Roja Americana brindó refugio a miles de personas, envió vehículos de respuesta de emergencia a vecindarios para entregar comidas, refrigerios y artículos de asistencia y contó con voluntarios que brindaron soporte emocional y espiritual además de servicios de salud. La Cruz Roja Americana trabaja para entregar asistencia financiera de emergencia a las personas en Florida y Georgia cuyos hogares fueron los más afectados.

En este momento, la Cruz Roja Americana no acepta solicitudes de asistencia en su sitio web, por teléfono ni en sus oficinas.

La Cruz Roja Americana contactará directamente a los hogares impactados utilizando una combinación de información de asistencia para desastres de la Cruz Roja Americana y los datos de inspección de FEMA. Además, trabajaremos con los colaboradores para llegar a las personas que no hablan inglés, no son ciudadanos estadounidenses o tienen otras barreras para acceder a la asistencia como falta de transporte o conexión a Internet.

Más información sobre los criterios de elegibilidad

Los hogares elegibles incluyen aquellos que:

La residencia primaria, anterior al desastre fue destruida o sufrió daños importantes por el Huracán Michael (verificado por FEMA o la Cruz Roja Americana); y
Prueba de que el solicitante es el propietario legal, inquilino o arrendatario de una residencia primaria previo al desastre en Florida y Georgia; y
El jefe del hogar responde el mensaje de correo electrónico o texto personalizado que se le envió directamente o está inscrito directamente a través de la Cruz Roja Americana o una organización colaboradora (se requiere prueba de identidad).

Por favor, sea paciente, llevará tiempo llegar a todos ya que intentamos contactar a miles de hogares.

Todos los servicios de la Cruz Roja Americana, incluida la asistencia financiera, están disponibles para quienes los necesiten, sin importar su nacionalidad, raza, orientación sexual, creencias religiosas, clase u opiniones políticas. La Cruz Roja Americana es un organismo de caridad, no una agencia gubernamental, y no es necesario que las personas sean ciudadanos estadounidenses para poder recibir ayuda de nuestra parte.

Si recibió un correo electrónico o mensaje de texto de la Cruz Roja Americana sobre el programa de asistencia financiera para el Huracán Michael y tiene preguntas, llame al 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Para preguntas sobre servicios adicionales disponibles para usted, llame al 2-1-1 o visite la página de FEMA para el Huracán Michael.

Preguntas frecuentes

Recibí un correo electrónico/mensaje de texto de la Cruz Roja Americana ofreciendo asistencia para la recuperación de Michael, ¿se trata de una estafa?

No, no lo es. La Cruz Roja Americana enviará correos electrónicos y mensajes de texto personalizados a los hogares elegibles utilizando la información ya recolectada a través del proceso de evaluación de daños de la Cruz Roja Americana o verificada por FEMA a través del proceso de inspección. Las personas que reciben un correo electrónico o mensaje de texto de la Cruz Roja Americana que necesitan asistencia financiera de emergencia deberán seguir las instrucciones provistas en el mensaje personalizado.

La Cruz Roja Americana no solicitará números de seguro social para brindar asistencia por el Huracán Michael. Si recibe alguna comunicación solicitando ese tipo de información, no debe suministrarla y debe informar el pedido a las autoridades de policía locales.

¿Qué significa “daño mayor” o “destruido”?

Un daño mayor se da por un daño estructural significativo a una residencia que necesita grandes reparaciones. Puede incluir, daño importante del techo, paredes o cimientos, o cañerías de agua por sobre 18 pulgadas. Una residencia destruida es aquélla que la pérdida es total o el daño es tan grande que no se puede reparar.

¿Qué documentación se requiere para recibir asistencia de la Cruz Roja Americana?

Para calificar para la asistencia financiera de emergencia de la Cruz Roja Americana, se puede pedir que el jefe de hogar verifique su identidad y residencia. La documentación para validar la identidad puede incluir pasaporte de EE. UU. o extranjero, ID o licencia de conducir emitida por el gobierno, tarjeta de residente permanente o identificación consular. Los documentos para validar la prueba de residencia pueden incluir una escritura, una declaración de hipoteca, un acuerdo de arrendamiento o alquiler, en papel con membrete de la propiedad, firmado por el propietario, una factura de un servicio público mensual o resumen bancario, con fecha entre el 1 de julio de 2018 y el 30 de septiembre de 2018, o un documento oficial como un correo de la escuela de un hijo o tarjeta de seguro del vehículo, con fecha entre el 1 de julio de 2018 y el 30 de septiembre de 2018.

Mi vecino fue contactado por la Cruz Roja Americana por la asistencia financiera de emergencia, pero yo no. ¿Por qué no me contactaron?

La Cruz Roja Americana enviará correos electrónicos y mensajes de texto personalizados a los hogares elegibles utilizando la información ya recolectada a través del proceso de evaluación de daños de la Cruz Roja Americana o verificada por FEMA a través del proceso de inspección. Llevará tiempo llegar a todos y agradecemos la paciencia de cada uno de ustedes mientras trabajamos en este esfuerzo.

Recibí un correo electrónico/texto, pero mi vecino no, ¿puedo reenviarle el correo electrónico a él?

No, no puede. La comunicación solo puede ser utilizada una vez y solo por el destinatario original. Si usted reenvía el correo electrónico, quienquiera que lo reciba no podrá acceder a la asistencia ya que el vínculo solo puede usarse una vez.

¿Aceptar la asistencia de la Cruz Roja Americana afectará mi elegibilidad para la asistencia FEMA o la cantidad que reciba?

No, recibir apoyo financiero de la Cruz Roja Americana no afectará su elegibilidad para ninguna otra asistencia del gobierno, lo que incluye FEMA, ni los montos de fondos que recibe. De hecho, la Cruz Roja Americana alienta a que todos los afectados se registren en FEMA, ya que hay disponible asistencia federal. Solicite la asistencia federal, registrándose en línea en www.DisasterAssistance.gov.