FEMA providing toll-free legal assistance hotline to low-income disaster victims

Amid ongoing recovery efforts from the May 10 tornadoes, now classified as a major disaster by President Biden , the Federal Emergency Management Agency has launched a free legal help hotline for Leon County residents.

FEMA’s Disaster Legal Services (DLS) program, in partnership with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division , provides low-income disaster victims with free legal assistance.

Survivors unable to afford an attorney can call FEMA to connect them with resources. The hotline can assist with the following legal issues:

• Securing FEMA and other government benefits available
• Home repair contracts and property insurance claims
• Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed
• Avoiding contractor scams in rebuilding process and consumer protection against issues like price-gouging
• Counseling on landlord-tenant problems, issues and foreclosures
• Disability-related access to federal, state and local programs

While FEMA is providing these legal assistance opportunities, local efforts continue to address physical damages.

At the end of June, the Tallahassee Democrat reported Leon County had collected up to 313,000 cubic yards of debris, and the City of Tallahassee collected 800,000 cubic yards of debris in collaborative efforts to restore the community.

More: $27.5 million later, Tallahassee, Leon County debris removal coming to an end

According to Leon County spokesperson Kianna Gilley, the county has now collected 337,140 cubic yards of debris through 6,708 truck loads.

For more information

• To reach FEMA’s toll-free legal service hotline, call 850-385-9007.

Democrat writer Mycah Brown can be reached at MJBrown@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FEMA providing toll-free legal assistance hotline to low-income disaster victims