Assistance for Severe Weather and Flooding that occurred in December 2023 and January 2024 Residents of Kent, Providence, and Washington counties, who were affected by severe storms and flooding that occurred between December 17-19, 2023, and between January 9-13, 2024, can apply for federal assistance. Homeowners and renters who received property loss or damages by either disaster in those counties have until May 20, 2024, to apply. When applying for assistance, you will need to describe what damage(s) happened on which date to ensure you’re applying under the correct disaster.FEMA Assistance - Several ways for homeowners and renters to apply. 1. Visit the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at: Curtis Corner Middle School 301 Curtis Corner Road Wakefield, RI 02879 - Hours of operation: 8 a.m.– 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 2. Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Help is available in most languages. 3. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish). 4. Download the FEMA mobile app (also in Spanish), available at Google Play or the Apple App Store. To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance - YouTube SBA Assistance - Ways to apply for low-interest disaster loans available to businesses and residents in Rhode Island 1. Visit the Business Recovery Center (BRC) at: North Providence Public Safety Complex 1835 Mineral Spring Avenue North Providence, RI 02904 - Hours of operation: 9 a.m.– 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays. 2. Apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. 3. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 4. Email: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov To view an accessible video on how to apply for SBA visit Reasons to apply for a SBA Loan.
Power Failures Power failure is the most comment incident that can occur from severe weather and other incidents. For example, strong wind, lightning, and wet snow can cause tree branches to break and fall, potentially bringing down power lines. A widespread terrorist incident could disrupt major power sources and extreme heat can cause them to overload which could lead to rolling blackouts. Heat waves also have the potential to cause blackouts in heavily-populated areas, due to the heavy use of air cooling devices. In some instances brownouts will occur, either intentionally or unintentionally, which results in electricity reduction. Brownouts are a drop in voltage in a power supply system that may be caused by a disruption of an electrical grid, or it may be imposed in order to prevent a blackout. In today’s technologically advanced society, we rely heavily on electricity to perform some essential day-to-day functions. Download our Power Failure Preparedness Guide and follow the tips for dealing with a possible power failure before, during, and after it occurs Power Failure Preparedness Guideline PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Additional Resources Map of Current Power Outages Report a Power Outage Disaster Supply Kit PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes Family Emergency Communications Plan PDF file, less than 1mbmegabytes