You may be eligible for reimbursement if you buy a generator during a hurricane

Destructive hurricanes often leave millions of people in Florida and other parts of the southeastern U.S. without power every year. 

After a major storm passes through a region, many people rely on generators to provide the energy they need until power is restored. Online searches show people are wondering whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will offer reimbursements to people who had to buy or rent a new generator as a result of a hurricane. 

THE QUESTION

Will FEMA reimburse people who purchase or rent generators during a hurricane?

THE SOURCES

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

THE ANSWER

Yes, FEMA will reimburse people who purchase or rent generators during a hurricane, but they must meet certain eligibility requirements.

WHAT WE FOUND

Under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, the president can enact two types of disaster declarations — emergency declarations and major disaster declarations. Both declaration types authorize the president to provide supplemental federal disaster assistance. 

For instance, the president can declare a major disaster for any natural event, including a hurricane, tornado, storm, fire, flood, or explosion, that “has caused damage of such severity that it is beyond the combined capabilities of state and local governments to respond,” according to FEMA.  

FEMA provides financial assistance to individuals and households who incurred certain miscellaneous expenses during a disaster under the Other Needs Assistance (ONA) provision of the Individuals and Households Program (IHP). Eligible items must be purchased or rented after the incident to assist with disaster recovery. 

In order to qualify for individual assistance from FEMA, a state must receive a major disaster declaration from the president that authorizes a grant program. If that Individual Assistance grant program is made available, only people within declared counties are eligible to apply.

Individual applicants must also meet the following requirements to qualify for generator reimbursement:

• Meets the general eligibility requirements for IHP;
• The home is the applicant’s primary residence and is located in an area designated for Individual Assistance (IA);
• The generator was purchased or rented due to a disruption in electrical utility service caused by a presidentially-declared disaster;
• Proof-of-purchase or rental receipts for the generator are submitted by the applicant;
• The generator was purchased or rented to power a medically-required piece of equipment, including a medically-required refrigerator; and
• The applicant provides a statement from a medical services provider, reflecting the generator is medically necessary.

“Generator reimbursement claims are handled on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will need to substantiate their claim by providing FEMA with a rental or purchase receipt and, if applicable, a statement from a medical services provider, reflecting the generator is medically necessary,” the spokesperson said. 

FEMA cannot provide reimbursement for equipment paid for by another source, such as homeowners, flood, or other types of insurance. Duplicate payments or reimbursements for assistance provided by insurance or any other source are prohibited by law.