Release Date: April 23, 2026
Release Number: NR-002
Residents of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawai’i and Maui counties who were affected by the March 10–24, 2026 Kona Low flooding now have until June 14, 2026, to apply for FEMA Individual Assistance.
Under the President’s Major Disaster Declaration, FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is available to help eligible individuals and households with basic, disaster-related needs that are not covered by insurance or other sources.
If you have homeowners’ or renters’ insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. By law, FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your insurance policy does not cover all your damage expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.
How to Apply for FEMA Assistance
Survivors can apply for FEMA Individual Assistance by:
- Phone: Calling FEMA’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-621-3362 (1-800-621-FEMA).
- If you use a relay service, such as video relay, captioned telephone, or another service, please provide FEMA the number for that service.
- Online: Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Mobile App: Using the FEMA app on a smartphone or tablet.
Registration is free. Survivors should apply as soon as possible and no later than June 14, 2026. Applications can be updated with additional information if circumstances change.
Be Ready with Key Information
Having important information and documents ready will help speed up your application. When applying, please have:
- Your current contact information (phone number, mailing address, and email, if available)
- The address of the damaged home
- Your Social Security number or equivalent document
- Insurance information, including any homeowners’ or renters’ policies, or a flood insurance policy
- A brief description of the damage and any losses
- Bank account and routing numbers if you choose direct deposit for any approved assistance
You do not need to have all documents in hand to start your application but providing complete and accurate information will help prevent delays.
What FEMA Individual Assistance May Provide
FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is designed to help survivors with basic, essential needs that are not covered by insurance or other sources. Depending on individual circumstances, assistance may include:
- Temporary housing assistance for homeowners and renters who cannot live in their homes due to disaster damage
- Basic home repairs to make a primary residence safe, sanitary, and functional
- Other Needs Assistance, which may help with necessary expenses such as:
- Personal property
- Transportation
- Certain medical, dental, or childcare costs
- Other eligible disaster-related expenses
FEMA assistance is not a replacement for insurance and is not intended to restore all losses. It is designed to help jump-start recovery for essential needs.
Insurance and Other Help
- Insurance is the first and most important source of recovery funding. Survivors should contact their insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim, if they have not already done so.
- State and County Agencies, as well as local non-profit and faith-based organizations, lead recovery efforts. FEMA is working closely with the State of Hawaiʻi and local partners to help connect survivors with available support.
- U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans are available for homeowners, renters, businesses of any size and private nonprofits. Like FEMA, SBA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance.
- Businesses and residents can apply online at sba.gov/disaster. For questions and assistance in completing an application, call 1-800-659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.