"YOU HAVE MAIL" --- Change of Address Needed for Evacuees
Release Date: January 30, 2006
Release Number: 1603-320
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BATON ROUGE, La. -- You may have mail. When Hurricane Rita and Katrina evacuees fled their homes for safer, drier places, some of them may have been too busy to submit a new change of address. Without the newest change of address, mail cannot be forwarded and may cause important information or checks to be returned as undeliverable.
Each time evacuees or applicants move, they need to notify both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Post Office of their current address and former address, so that mail can be forwarded.
"Many evacuees may have provided change of address information and have since relocated," said Scott Wells, FEMA's federal coordinating officer. "We are aware that some individuals may have moved since their last update. We encourage everyone to update their contact information each time they move."
Some federally issued checks may not be forwarded and must be mailed directly to the recipient. Evacuees are encouraged to contact agencies issuing checks they expect to receive and provide a new mailing address.
To update their address with FEMA, evacuees should call the telephone number they called to register for aid: 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585.
To put in a change of address with the U. S. Postal service, evacuees may visit any U.S. Post Office or use the postal services telephone or internet change of address options.
Change of address can be filed online at www.usps.com or by calling: 800-ASK-USPS (800-275-8777). Those individuals without telephone service or internet access should go to the nearest post office and complete a change of address form.
If hurricane victims have not registered for disaster relief funds, they need to register now by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585.
Last Modified: Monday, 30-Jan-2006 15:22:04