by dderenzis
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Hurricane Ida Shelter and Transportation Updates

Montgomery County released important updates on Sheltering and Transportation for those impacted by the storm resulting from Hurricane Ida. Updates continue to be provided by Montgomery County with relation to the disaster.

SHELTER

The Red Cross Shelter at Norristown Area High School will close today, Monday, September 13 at 5 p.m. Anyone who is currently staying at the shelter will be transitioned to short-term hotel housing arrangements.

Montgomery County is offering resources to individuals and families who are currently experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness due to the impacts of Hurricane Ida. Residents should contact Your Way Home by dialing 2-1-1 or texting their zip code to 898-211 to check availability of resources, which may include short term hotel housing in certain cases.

Short term hotel housing is prioritized for individuals or families who are:

  • Sleeping outside
  • Sleeping in a car
  • Staying in overcrowded or unsafe housing conditions
  • Staying in a hotel and are at risk of being displaced
  • Staying in housing that is now condemned or otherwise deemed unsafe

Short-term hotel housing is offered at no cost to Montgomery County residents who have been displaced.

FREE ON-DEMAND TRANSPORTATION

No cost transportation through Gogo Grandparent is available for anyone who has been impacted by Hurricane Ida for basic transportation needs. Transportation is for anyone, not just seniors! Montgomery County residents can request free roundtrip transportation through the following process:

  1. Step 1 – Sign Up:
    1. Call 1 (855) 464-6872 and tell them you would like to sign up as part of Montgomery County, or
    2. Visit https://gogograndparent.com/montco to sign up
  2. Step 2 – Request a Car:
    1. Call 1 (855) 464-6872
      1. Press 1 for a car to your home
      1. Press 2 for a car to where we dropped you off last
      1. Press 0 to speak with an operator
  3. Step 3 – A car comes to you!

FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FUNDING

You must apply for federal aid to receive additional federal benefits. Financial assistance is available for affected individuals in Montgomery County, as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, and York counties.

To get federal aid, individuals need to fill out the FEMA application for assistance through the following process. (This is separate than filing a damage report with the County or Township/Borough and paperwork completed at the Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC))

The Major Disaster Declaration through FEMA provides federal funding and services to eligible individuals and households through the Individual Assistance (Español | 简体中文 | Kreyòl ayisyen | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt) program and impacted communities through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. 

This week, FEMA representatives will be going door to door in our hardest hit communities to make residents aware of the resources and funding available and to sign them up in person.

Before you apply for assistance, follow the below steps to start your recovery process:

  1. Step 1: Take photos of your damaged home and belongings.
  2. Step 2: Make a list of damaged/lost items.
  3. Step 3: If you have insurance, you must file a claim with your insurance company. If you do not have insurance, continue to Step 4. (FEMA assistance cannot aid with losses already covered by insurance.)
  4. Step 4: Apply for disaster assistance using one of the below methods:
    1. Online at www.disasterassistance.gov (Espanol: https://www.disasterassistance.gov/es)
    2. Over the phone at 1-800-621-3362 / TTY 1-800-462-7585 (7 a.m. to 1 a.m. ET, 7 days a week)
    3. Via the FEMA smartphone application: Google Play or Apple App Store
    4. In-person at a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) – location and other details to be announced soon

Montgomery County will announce the location of a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in the coming days. At the DRC residents can apply for aid in person, visit for information about FEMA or other disaster assistance programs, or ask questions related to their case. For additional information on the Pennsylvania disaster declaration, visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4618.

Translated into 27 languages, the “Help After a Disaster” brochure is a tool that can be shared in your community to help people understand the types of FEMA Individual Assistance support that may be available in disaster recovery.

All updates continued to be posted at www.montcopa.org/Ida.