Good news from FEMA after tornadoes: 'Assistance won't impact other federal benefits'

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has come out with more information which may provide peace of mind for some Tallahassee residents.

In one of their latest press releases, FEMA shared the reminder that disaster assistance "grants are not taxable and applying ... will not affect other federal benefits you may receive."

The news comes as Tallahassee and Leon County residents continue to apply for federal assistance, two months after the May 10 tornado outbreak.

The release added: "Accepting a FEMA grant will not effect eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or other federal benefit programs."

How to apply for FEMA assistance

Leon County residents with uninsured losses have until Aug. 19 to apply for FEMA federal assistance. Grant money can be used for "temporary housing, essential home repairs, essential personal property replace and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources."

Residents can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA app (available on iOS and Android), or call 800-621-3362, 7 a.m.-11 p.m. EDT.

Multilingual operators are available. If you use a relay service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.

Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.