From FEMA:

People who suffered losses because of Hurricane Gustav should register for assistance by calling toll-free 1-800-621-FEMA(3362). People who are speech-or-hearing-impaired should call TTY 1-800-432-7585. Phones lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you have the following information on hand, the application will take approximately 20 minutes to complete:

• Social Security number
• Telephone number where you can be reached
• Address of damaged property
• Brief description of disaster-related losses
• Insurance information
• Bank account number and routing number for direct deposit

If you don't have access to all of the above information, you can still register. FEMA staff is trained to work around missing information so those in need shouldn't miss out on help.

Online
You may also apply for disaster assistance online by logging onto www.fema.gov The application process takes about
twenty minutes.

Federal Assistance is NOW available for people living in the following parishes:

Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana.

Types of assistance you may be eligible to receive:

• Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable.

• Grants for home repairs to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional and for replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance.

• Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaste  related needs.

• Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance.

• Loans for small businesses that have suffered disaster related losses.

Click here for more information from FEMA. 

CHECKING THE STATUS OF YOUR APPLICATION:

Individuals may check the status of their application by phone or online:

1.    Dial 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)

2.    Go to http://www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm, follow Step 3 

You must have an email address to create your account access. Your e-mail address is the only way a PIN can be sent to you; the PIN is required to access your personal account. You may wish to consider creating an email address through one of the numerous public providers.  The PIN will be created and sent to the e-mail address provided when you created your application access account.  You should receive your PIN at the email address listed on your account creation within 24 hours.

You will need to have the following information create the account:

Title, First and last name, Address, Contact phone number, Email address, Date of birth, Mother's maiden name, Social Security Number  (Note: To access your FEMA application, the name, address, and personal information must be the same as that used to register for disaster assistance.)

You will be able to see your:

•    Eligibility status by category
•    Payment schedule date and amount of eligible assistance (if applicable)
•    Addresses and phone numbers currently in your file
•    Insurance types, policy numbers
•    Contact numbers on record
•    Information requested from you by FEMA
•    Correspondence received from you (the document itself will not be viewable)
•    Correspondence sent to you by FEMA (the document itself will not be viewable)
•    Agency referrals (all agency referrals for the disaster will be viewable)
•    The status of any inspections conducted by FEMA (details of the inspection are not viewable)

You can update:

•    Current mailing address
•    Contact phone numbers
•    Insurance policy numbers and insurance company phone numbers


For more information, and a list of frequently asked questions visit:

http://www.fema.gov/assistance/dafaq.shtm