Raleigh County, W.Va. (WOAY) – FEMA is wrapping up the Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) team’s door-to-door visits. With over 13,000 homes visited and the federal deadline approaching, FEMA has a message for affected residents: You can still apply and qualify for aid.
Door-to-Door Effort Reaches Thousands
The February flooding of southern West Virginia displaced and affected thousands of residents. FEMA hit the ground running, arriving in the area within two weeks and supplying over $15 million in grants to affected residents.
After weeks of going door to door through flood-affected communities, FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams have wrapped up their field operations across southern West Virginia. The effort spanned seven counties, reaching more than 13,000 homes, 300 private businesses, and hundreds of churches and community spaces.
“It takes a lot of people to make that happen,” said Kelly McGarity, FEMA’s media relations specialist. “Our DSA teams have been out across all seven counties. It’s actually up to 13,000 homes now that they visited. Additionally, they visited over 300 private sector businesses and over 300 faith-based organizations… to really get the word out about FEMA and to get people that assistance that they’re eligible for.”
McGarity, who rode with teams in Raleigh County on their final day, emphasized the value of talking face to face.
“We get the pleasure of interacting with so many West Virginians. So they really tell us their stories and then we can kind of humanize FEMA and hopefully make it a little bit easier to apply,” she said.
A Leader’s Perspective: “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”
Cam Hamilton, the senior official performing the duties of FEMA Administrator, toured several impacted areas and spoke with local officials and residents.
“We got to see a lot of the areas of the water line where the floodwaters came up,” Hamilton said. “Some communities really have this amazing support. Neighbors helping neighbors.”
His visit was part of a broader push from FEMA leadership to gather direct feedback and ensure continued support beyond the initial response. “That was my goal — just drive through these areas and talk to locals to better understand it from your shoes, from your perspective,” he said.
How to Apply Before the Deadline
While the in-person outreach has ended, FEMA’s message is clear: assistance is still available, but time is running out. The deadline to apply is April 28.
Residents can apply in four ways:
- Online at disasterassistance.gov
- By phone at 1-800-621-FEMA
- The FEMA mobile app
- In person at any of the seven open Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs)
“If your house was damaged by the flood, you receive some funds for that. If your car was damaged, you might be able to receive some funds for repairs and/or replacing a vehicle,” McGarity explained. “FEMA money comes in in the form of a grant, so it doesn’t need to be paid back.”
For those unsure if they qualify, Hamilton encouraged people to reach out anyway. “FEMA has some phone numbers that you can call directly on our website. You can call there and just ask, ‘Hey, here’s where I am. I’ve been impacted. I don’t know what to do.’”
The door-knocking may be over, but FEMA officials say the work continues. McGarity put it simply, “The deadline to apply is coming up. It’s April 28th… please get those applications in as soon as possible.”
