Preparing for a disaster

Ready.gov or Listo.gov (Spanish) empowers you to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. Ready.gov also provides guidance for individuals with disabilities to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
If you are older or have a disability, the Administration for Community Living also provides emergency preparedness and emergency response guidance.

You can also download the FEMA Mobile App to get preparedness strategies, real-time weather and emergency alerts.

Returning home

After a disaster, there are many things to consider. Is your home safe to enter? How do you save and clean up your possessions? How can you rebuild stronger and safer to protect you and your family from future disasters? HUD has created resources to help you get back into your home safely and protect it for the future (make it more resilient with improvements) including:

• Rebuild Healthy Homes Guide to Post-disaster Restoration for a Safe and Healthy Home (PDF, 41 pages) — Offers tips and guidance on how to identify and deal with damage and restore your home.

Visit the post-disaster healthy housing resources page to find more information and resources, available in English and Spanish, to help you restore your home. HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) also offers guidance on how to rehabilitate flooded homes, design and construction practices that promote moisture resistance and durability, preparedness for future disasters, and other relevant content in their Disaster Response Toolkit.

Home repair and replacement assistance

FEMA assistance

Financial assistance may be available for eligible homeowners to rebuild or make basic repairs so their home is safe, sanitary and functional. To apply, follow FEMA’s guidance:

• Step One: Take photos of your damaged home and belongings.
• Step Two: Make a list of damaged/lost items.
• Step Three: If you have insurance, you must file a claim with your insurance company. If you do not have insurance, continue to Step Four.
• Step Four: Go to DisasterAssistance.gov or your local Disaster Recovery Center now that you are ready to apply for disaster assistance or if you would like more information on available assistance.

Mitigation assistance may also be available through SBA to better protect your home, business, or to save lives during future disasters. To learn more visit SBA’s Mitigation Assistance site.

Housing counseling

HUD-participating housing counseling agencies are available to help you. HUD-participating housing counseling agencies can help in many ways after a disaster including helping you communicate with your insurance company and government agencies. Search online for a housing counselor in your area or call 1-800-569-4287.

Additional HUD programs

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has several loan insurance and finance programs that can help you rebuild or buy another home.

To apply for these programs, you must work with an FHA-approved lender. You can also find out more about FHA programs by contacting the FHA Resource Center at 1-800-CALL-FHA (1-800-225-5342).

HUD’s FHA mortgage programs for disaster recovery:

• HUD's Mortgage Insurance for Disaster Victims (Section 203(h)) Program — The 203(h) program can benefit individuals and families who are existing homeowners and those who were renting a home that was lost in a disaster. Borrowers from participating FHA-approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing, including closing costs. The borrower's application for mortgage insurance must be submitted to the lender within one year of the President's declaration of the disaster.
• HUD's Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance (Section 203(k)) Program — The 203(k) program enables survivors of disasters to finance the purchase of or refinance a house along with its repairs through a single mortgage. It also allows homeowners who have damaged houses to finance the rehabilitation of their existing homes.

Buying flood insurance

Just one inch of flood water can cause more than $25,000 in damage to your home. But most homeowners and renters’ insurance does not cover flooding. Only flood insurance helps you protect your home and savings. Learn more about flood insurance coverage, buying flood insurance from FEMA, and the National Flood Insurance Program.

HUD disaster recovery funds (CDBG-DR)

In the months after a disaster, HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds often help in your community by providing extra support for long-term recovery. Learn more about HUD disaster recovery funds.

Some key points about these funds:

• A disaster must be declared by the President
• Congress must then decide to send funds to your community through HUD and your local government and organizations
• After Congress decides to allocate the funds, it can take over 6 months for those funds to reach your community
• You can’t apply for these funds directly through HUD. However, you can contact your state or local community development office (below) to find out what you might qualify for and how to apply.

State and local community development offices