VA is here for you.

If you are in an emergency or disaster situation, the most important thing you can do is listen to your local officials. If you are told to evacuate, please do so immediately—for your safety and the safety of your loved ones.

VA has many resources for employees, Veterans, and their loved ones who have been affected by a natural disaster. Please bookmark these resources on your government-issued and personal phones which lead to more detailed information:

• Emergency Resource for Employees (this site)
• Guidance For Employees Impacted by a Natural Disaster
• Visit Disaster help on VA.gov
• Call the VA Employee Disaster Hotline at 1-866-233-0152

Resources

• Apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov, calling 1-800-621-3362, or on the FEMA App.
• Call the VA Employee Disaster Hotline at 1-866-233-0152 for health or safety needs, updates on clinics, changes in contact information, access to local resources, or even just to check in.
• Refer to the Office of Personnel Management’s Handbook for Emergency Pay and Leave Benefits (PDF) for information on the resources that are available.
• Prevent fraud and housing scams by following VSAFE best practices (PDF) during natural disasters or emergencies. 
• VA’s Employee Assistance Program provides counseling and referrals for all employees and their immediate family members.
• The VA National Chaplain Service (VA Intranet, network access required) offers spiritual guidance and grief support. Contact your nearest VA Medical facility Chaplain or reach out to VANationalChaplainStaff@va.gov.
• For 24/7 crisis assistance, Veterans can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by calling 988 (Press 1), by texting 838255, or through the online chat. All others can contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988 or through the online chat.
• For any other concerns, Veterans can call MyVA411 24/7 at 1-800-698-2411 and press 0 to speak to an agent immediately.
• Stand by for additional information about assistance programs from Human Resources and the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness.

How to help

• Disaster Relief Fund donations (VA SharePoint) – VA partnered with the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation (PenFed Foundation) to launch the Disaster Relief Fund in support of VA employees and Veterans impacted by FEMA-declared disasters.
• Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (VA SharePoint) – The DEMPS Program may be used for internal VA missions, as well as external missions under the National Response Framework (NRF) Emergency Support Functions.
• Surge Capacity Force – If an incident exceeds the capacity of FEMA’s disaster workforce, the Secretary of DHS is authorized to activate the DHS Surge Capacity Force (SCF).