- •FEMA Individual Assistance and SBA disaster loans are separate from your insurance claim; applying for one does not waive the other.
- •Start FEMA at disasterassistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362; FEMA generally covers uninsured or underinsured losses, not what insurance already pays.
- •Insurance disputes go to the state regulator: Florida’s CFO Insurance Consumer Helpline, or the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
- •For immediate needs (shelter, food, water), call 2-1-1 or the American Red Cross.
- •These are official public resources; HurricaneLaw.pro is not a government agency.
Disaster aid and your insurance claim are two different tracks. FEMA and SBA generally cover uninsured or underinsured losses, not what your policy already pays, and not as a substitute for a fair insurance settlement. Pursue both: apply for aid for immediate needs and gaps, and fight the insurance claim on its own merits. If the carrier denied or shorted a covered loss, that stays a claim dispute.
FEMA & SBA: the federal programs
FEMA, DisasterAssistance.gov
Apply for FEMA Individual Assistance, upload documents, and track your application. FEMA aid is generally for uninsured or underinsured disaster losses.
SBA Disaster Assistance
Low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits, covering physical damage and economic injury in declared disasters.
Ready.gov
Federal preparedness, evacuation, and recovery guidance, official DHS/FEMA public-education resource.
Florida & South Carolina state agencies
Florida Division of Emergency Management
State-level storm updates, shelter and evacuation information, and recovery resources for Florida residents.
South Carolina Emergency Management Division
SC evacuation zones, shelter locator, Code Red alerts, and recovery information.
My Safe Florida Home
Florida’s program for free wind-mitigation inspections and matching grants to harden homes against hurricanes.
If the problem is your insurance company
Florida CFO, Insurance Consumer Helpline
File an insurance complaint or get help with a claim dispute against a Florida-regulated carrier, through the Department of Financial Services.
South Carolina Department of Insurance
File a consumer complaint or ask about a claim dispute with an SC-licensed insurer, and verify adjuster and agent licenses.
Shelter, food, and community help
2-1-1
Free, confidential referral line for local disaster aid, shelter, food, and financial assistance. Dial 2-1-1 or search online.
American Red Cross
Emergency shelter, food, water, and disaster relief. Find open shelters and request help after a storm.
National VOAD
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, the coalition that coordinates faith-based and community relief groups.
United Way
Local United Way chapters coordinate disaster funds and volunteer recovery help in affected communities.
Not legal advice, and not affiliated with FEMA, the SBA, or any government agency. Links point to official agency and national nonprofit sites; programs, phone numbers, and eligibility can change, so confirm current details on the agency’s own site. Deadlines to apply for FEMA and SBA assistance are often tied to a specific disaster declaration.
Got aid, but the insurance claim stalled?
FEMA and SBA are for the gaps. If your insurer denied or underpaid a covered hurricane loss, that is a separate fight. Send the denial and get a straight read on it.
HURRICANELAW.PRO A comprehensive property-insurance claim resource for policyholders: denied and underpaid claims, coverage and bad-faith law, storm dossiers, carrier profiles, city guides, and the complete claims playbook. Florida and South Carolina.
▸ SEE THE FULL SITE MAP →Coverage summaries, policy-language quotations, dollar figures, deadlines, and chart examples throughout this site are general information based on typical or standard policy forms and are illustrative only: they are not a quote, a guarantee of coverage, or a promise of any outcome. Every insurance policy is different: your own policy, endorsements, and state law control, so read your policy and confirm current statutes. Weather imagery courtesy of NOAA, the National Hurricane Center, and the National Weather Service. Legal services are provided by Halversen Law. Nothing on this site is legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim.
Legal matters are handled by Halversen Law, a law firm licensed in Florida and South Carolina.