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Disaster help

If you’re affected by a natural disaster, we can help make sure you continue to get your VA benefits and health care. Keep reading on this page to learn how we can help. 

A natural disaster may affect the status and operating hours of VA facilities. You can check if your local VA facility is open.
Find your nearest VA facility

Note: If you think your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. 

How to contact us

Veterans Crisis Line

If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with a Veterans Crisis Line responder anytime day or night:

Note: If you think your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. 

MyVA411 main information line

If you need help finding out where to go for care or have questions about VA resources available to you, call the MyVA411 main information line at 800-698-2411. We’re here 24/7. If you need an interpreter, select 0. We’ll connect you with a VA call center agent. Tell the agent that you want a language interpreter to join the call.

Ask VA online tool

Natural disasters may affect your ability to reach us by phone. You can send us your questions through the secure Ask VA online tool. A VA representative who’s familiar with the topic you’re asking about will respond. 
Contact us online through Ask VA

For housing assistance

If you need help with housing or your VA home loan after a disaster, we’re here to support you.

How can I get help right away if Im homeless or unhoused?

If you or a Veteran you know needs immediate housing assistance after a natural disaster, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at . We’re available 24/7.

How can I get health care and benefits if I’m at a shelter?

If you’ve relocated to a shelter or a disaster recovery center because of a natural disaster, we may have already deployed a team to connect you with the health care and benefits you need. If you need help finding housing, we’ll assign you to a case manager.

Learn more about disaster recovery centers on the FEMA website

How do I get help with repairs if my home was damaged?

  • Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin the disaster application process online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800‐621‐3362.
  • Contact your mortgage company if you're unable to or are having trouble making your mortgage payments.
  • Contact your insurance company to file an insurance claim as soon as possible. However, don't make a hasty settlement on insurance.

In addition, if you have previously used a Specially Adapted Housing grant and your adapted primary residence is destroyed or substantially damaged during a disaster, call us at 877‐827‐3702. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Learn more about Specially Adapted Housing grants

Download VA Guidance on Natural Disasters (PDF)

Can I get help with my VA-backed home loan?

We encourage mortgage servicers to put a 90-day pause on foreclosures and waive late charges for VA-guaranteed home loans after a disaster. Contact your mortgage servicer if you can’t make your mortgage payments. You can also call us at 877‐827‐3702. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Learn more about what to do after a disaster if you have a VA home loan

If you have a VA home loan and your home was affected by a natural disaster, we encourage you to take these actions to get the help you need.

Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Make sure to contact FEMA right away to begin the disaster application process. To receive the maximum assistance, you must register with FEMA before their deadline expires. 

Begin the disaster application process online at DisasterAssistance.gov 

Or you can call 800‐621‐3362. 

Check with the Small Business Administration (SBA)

Don’t pay your loan in full before checking with the SBA about a loan for the uninsured portion of your loss. Additional support, including low‐interest loans, cash grants, and housing assistance may be available from agencies associated with the disaster recovery effort.

Contact your insurance company

File an insurance claim as soon as possible. But don’t make a hasty settlement on insurance. 

When your property is damaged but repairable, attempt to get your local engineer’s office to inspect your home for structural damage. If possible, get at least 2 estimates from licensed contractors for the cost of repairs or rebuilding.

Insurance checks for personal property and living expenses should be payable to you only. Checks for damage to your home should be payable to both you and your mortgage company.

Check other sources for help 

Contact your local offices of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), or other Veterans’ organizations. They may be able to offer special assistance even if you’re not a member.

Download VA Guidance on Natural Disasters (PDF)

For VA health care

If you’re enrolled in VA health care and you’re affected by a natural disaster, we may already be in contact with you to learn how we can support you. If we haven’t contacted you, call your nearest VA medical center to speak with the patient advocate team. 

Find a VA medical center near you

If you have nonurgent questions, you can reach us through the VA: Health and Benefits app or My HealtheVet secure messaging to schedule an appointment, refill prescriptions, and access your medical records. 

Download the VA: Health and Benefits app

Learn more about secure messaging

Urgent care for Veterans in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

If you’re enrolled in VA health care in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, call the VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center for virtual urgent and tele-emergency care at . We’re here 24/7. Services include general administrative support, nurse triage, pharmacy, virtual visits with a doctor or nurse practitioner, and more.

How can I get prescriptions and medical equipment?

If a natural disaster has affected your access to needed prescriptions or medical equipment like oxygen tanks, we can work with mobile clinics, home health teams, and community care providers to get you the prescriptions and medical equipment you need.

Our emergency pharmacy service may be deployed during a natural disaster. These self-contained vehicles can serve as an outpatient pharmacy for Veterans in the affected area within a few hours.

Learn more about our emergency pharmacy service

For compensation and claims

If you can’t receive your benefit payment because of a natural disaster, call us at to request a special one-time payment. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.

If a natural disaster affects U.S. Postal Service delivery, we know that claims may be delayed getting to us. We also recognize that it may take longer for us to gather the information we need from you so we can process your claim. Instead of mailing your claim, you can also submit a claim and upload evidence online.

Find out how to file for disability compensation online

For education benefits

A natural disaster may affect your education payments in these ways:

  • If your school closes temporarily during a term, your payments will continue until the end of the term or for up to 4 weeks, whichever comes first.
  • If your school closes temporarily between terms, your payments will start again when you return to school.
  • If your school stays open but you can’t attend, your payments will stop. But if distance learning is offered for the program you’re enrolled in at your school, you have the option to switch to distance learning. If you’re using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, your payments will continue at the resident housing rate. 
  • If your school extends the term so there’s a later end date to make up for a period of time when the school was closed, we’ll continue your payments through this later end date.

To keep getting payments while your school is closed, continue to verify your enrollment each month.

Verify your school enrollment for GI Bill benefits

If you have questions, you can call us at 888-442-4551. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

For employment benefits

If you receive VA employment services and you’re affected by a natural disaster, you may qualify for 2 additional months of employee adjustment allowance. Contact your nearest VA regional office to speak with a Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) counselor to learn more.

Find a VA regional office near you

For life insurance

If you’re affected by a natural disaster, we can provide assistance. We offer instant loan approval online and same-day processing for policy loans.

We also provide same-day processing and approval for these policy actions:

  • Withdrawals from dividend credit and deposit accounts
  • A claim for when an insured person dies

The Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) follows the disaster alert procedures issued by each state’s Department of Insurance in the event of a natural disaster. These alert procedures generally extend the premium payment period so that insurance coverage doesn’t lapse.

To contact the VA Insurance Center for policies that start with V, RS, W, RH, G, or VM, call us at . We’re here from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

To contact OSGLI for VGLI coverage, call us at . We’re here from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Or, you can email us at osgli.osgli@prudential.com.

For VA national cemeteries

If your loved one’s memorial service was affected by a natural disaster, we may already be in contact with you about rescheduling. If you haven’t been contacted or need to find the operating status of your nearest VA national cemetery, contact the cemetery directly.

Find a VA national cemetery

To make burial plans for a Veteran, spouse, or dependent family member, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 (TTY: 711) . We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. 

More disaster resources

Where can I find more information about preparing for a disaster?

Here’s a list of other organizations and agencies that can help during a natural disaster:

What can I do to protect myself from fraud?

Some predators use natural disasters and emergencies to target Veterans. This may include disaster response imposters and scammers claiming they’re from charities offering fake emergency loans. 

If you think you may be a victim of fraud, call us at 833-388-7233. We’re here 24/7.

Learn how to protect your identity and your VA benefits from scammers 

Learn more about fraud protection on the Veteran, service member, family member fraud evasion (VSAFE) website 

  • Get information and resources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

  • Get information and resources from across government agencies.

  • Get information and resources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

  • Get information and resources from across government agencies.

VA benefits

  • Health care

    Apply for VA health care, find out how to access services, and manage your health and benefits online.

  • Disability

    File a claim for disability compensation for conditions related to your military service, and manage your benefits over time.

  • Housing assistance

    Find out if you’re eligible for a VA-backed home loan. If you have a service-connected disability, see if you qualify for a housing grant to help you live more independently.

Need more help?

MyVA411 main information line: 800-698-2411