PIERRE, SD – Residents and business owners in 11 South Dakota counties and two reservations who suffered damage or losses from the September severe storms, flooding or tornadoes may now register with FEMA for federal disaster assistance.

Residents and business ownersof Brookings,Charles Mix, Davison, Hanson, Hutchinson, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Yankton counties and the Flandreau and Yankton Indian Reservations with damage that occurred from September 9ththrough September 26th are eligible to register.

Registration opens the door to a number of federal disaster assistance programs, as well as referrals to other forms of aid.

There are several ways to register:

· Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or DisasterAssistance.gov/es (for Spanish).

· Usethe FEMAmobile app in English or Spanish.

· Call the disaster assistance helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7585 (TTY) anytime from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

People must complete the registration process with FEMA even if they have previously called their local emergency manager, 2-1-1, or a local voluntary agency like the Red Cross to report disaster damage. FEMA also encourages individuals to contact their insurance agent or company to report any losses.