Dear Georgians
I pray that you and your loved ones are all safe in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastating landfall in our state. I join Georgians all over in mourning those we have lost during this awful storm, and I am immensely grateful for the first responders who have risked their lives to keep our communities safe.
My office is monitoring on-going recovery efforts and has been in frequent contact with Federal, state, and local officials to ensure our communities get the help they need. Along with my colleagues in the Georgia delegation, I successfully urged President Biden to approve a federal Emergency Declaration for all 159 counties in Georgia, giving our state access to much needed federal emergency resources and assistance to supplement state and local preparation and response efforts. I’m also pushing to deliver additional aid and relief to aid Georgians in need through a federal Major Disaster declaration. At my request, the President has declared a number of counties eligible for individual and public assistance. You can view the current list of counties here: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4830/designated-areas.
As these efforts continue, I wanted to share some resources to help you and your communities stay safe and begin to recover during this difficult time.
First and foremost, if you require immediate emergency assistance, please dial 911. For non-damage related questions, you can call 211 for assistance.
For additional assistance, such as food, water, or shelter-related questions:
- The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) has compiled a list of resources related to food, shelter, and donations, including emergency distribution sites, here: https://gema.georgia.gov/hurricane-helene.
- You can also contact your local Emergency Management Agency, which can be found here: https://gema.georgia.gov/locations. If you cannot reach your local agency, you can contact the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) at 404-635-7200 or 1-800-TRYGEMA (1-800-879-4362)
- Georgians receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits can
report food lost by submitting Form 841 to the Georgia Division of Family & Children
Services, either at a county office (dfcs.georgia.gov/locations) or electronically: https://dfcs.georgia.gov/form/food-loss-replacement-form.
- Before Oct. 3, 2024, SNAP recipients had 10 days to submit a Form 841 to the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services. Beginning on Oct. 3, 2024, this 10-day reporting submission deadline is waived until Oct. 25. 2024 for SNAP participants residing in the following counties affected by Hurricane Helene:
- Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkes.
- Beginning on Oct. 8, 2024, SNAP recipients in the following counties can temporarily use their benefits to purchase prepared or “hot foods” from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved retailers until Nov. 7, 2024:
- Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baldwin, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Franklin, Glascock, Glynn, Habersham, Hancock, Hart, Henry, Irwin, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Madison, McDuffie, McIntosh, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morgan, Monroe, Newton, Oglethorpe, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Rockdale, Screven, Spalding, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Turner, Twiggs, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Wheeler, and Worth.
- SNAP-authorized retailers may accept SNAP benefits in exchange for hot foods and foods intended to be consumed on retailer premises in 84 counties. To find out if you are in an eligible county, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/georgia-disaster-nutrition-assistance. Under normal circumstances, SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase hot foods or food ready for immediate consumption. This waiver is effective immediately through November 7, 2024.
- You can contact your local American Red Cross Regional Office, which are listed here https://www.redcross.org/local/georgia.html or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) 24 hours a day.
- You can also find more information about locating a loved one through the American Red Cross here: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/contact-and-locate-loved-ones.html.
For those recovering from hurricane-related damage:
The Federal government offers several resources for those with health care-related needs:
Farmers and growers can also access resources provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
Frauds and scams can be common following a disaster, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself:
The IRS is offering several options for tax payments for those affected:
- Georgia taxpayers now have until May 1, 2025 to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments—this includes:
- 2024 individual and business returns that would otherwise have been due March and April 2025
- 2023 individual and business returns with valid extensions (this does NOT include the payments on these returns, as they were due last spring before the hurricane occurred)
- 2024 quarterly estimated income tax payments that would otherwise have been due January 2025 and 2025 estimated tax payments that would otherwise have been due April 2025
- Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns that would otherwise have been due October, January, and April 2025.
- The IRS automatically provides filing and penalty relief to any taxpayer with an IRS address of record located in the disaster area. You do not need to contact the IRS to receive this relief.
- If you do not have an IRS address of record located in the disaster area because you moved to the area after filing their return, you could receive a late filing or late payment penalty notice from the IRS for the postponement period. If this applies to you, you should call the number on the notice to have the penalty abated.
- Individuals and businesses in Georgia who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed disaster-related losses can claim them on either their 2024 or 2023 return. Individuals and businesses in Georgia have up to six months after the due date of their federal income tax return for the disaster year, without regard to any extension of time to file, to make the election. For individual taxpayers, the due date is October 15, 2025. You must write the FEMA declaration number on any return claiming a loss. You can find additional information here: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-547
- Qualified disaster relief payments are generally excluded from gross income. This means affected taxpayers can exclude from their gross income amounts received from a government agency for reasonable and necessary personal, family living, or funeral expenses, as well as for the repair or rehabilitation of their home or for the repair and replacement of its contents. More details are available here: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-525
- Additional relief may be available to affected taxpayers who participate in a retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement (IRA). Taxpayers may also be eligible to make a hardship withdrawal. Each plan or IRA has specific rules and guidance for their participants to follow, and you should contact the administrator of your plan to find out your plan or IRA’s rules.
For more information on the IRS’ accommodations for taxpayers impacted by Hurricane Helene, visit here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-provides-relief-for-helene-various-deadlines-postponed-to-may-1-2025-part-or-all-of-7-states-qualify
In-person assistance:
If you’ve been impacted by Hurricane Helene and would like to apply for individual assistance in-person, you may do so at FEMA’s new Disaster Recovery Center in Valdosta.
Address: 4434 North Forrest St. Extension, Valdosta, GA
Hours: Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
If you’ve been impacted by Hurricane Helene and would like to apply for business assistance in-person, you may do so at the Small Business Administration’s Business Recovery Centers in Augusta and Valdosta:
Valdosta
Address: Turner Center for the Arts, Art Annex
601 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA 31601
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed Sunday
Augusta
Address: CSRA Regional Commission
3626 Walton Way Ext , Suite 1
Augusta, GA 30909
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed Sunday
For additional help with FEMA assistance, you can go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA App or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service such as Video Relay Service, captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
Finally, you can read more about the activities of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency at https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-helene (Spanish: https://www.fema.gov/es/helene) and across Federal agencies at https://usa.gov/hurricane-helene (Spanish: https://usa.gov/es/huracan-helene).
As your U.S. Senator, the safety of Georgians is my top priority. My office will continue to work to ensure that all Federal resources are leveraged to assist communities across Georgia as they become available. My staff are available to answer questions and help you find local resources for further assistance. Anyone seeking assistance from my office can call the office at (770) 694-7828.
During a recent visit to Augusta, which was hit hard by the hurricane, I surveyed storm damage, delivered supplies and met with local leaders and community members to hear what they needed from Washington in this challenging moment. But even in our darkest hour, what I saw in Augusta—and what I know about people in every corner of our state—is that Georgians are resilient, love their community, and come together during tough times. And know that I will keep walking with you as I continue to work for you.
Keep the faith,
U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock
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Updated October 11, 2024
