Where to turn when a natural disaster upends your finances

By NerdWallet staff

If you’ve been affected by a natural disaster like Hurricane Ida, you have several options for finding immediate help from government and aid agencies. Beyond that, though, you’ll have a financial recovery to begin. FEMA offers many types of help, and you can get additional guidance from Project Porchlight. Don’t wait to reach out to your insurers and creditors. The earlier you contact them, the sooner you will have a handle on forbearance or other help they may offer. You may need to rely on credit in the short term; later you can pick a payoff strategy to reduce those balances. Finally, don’t be afraid to seek debt relief.