How To Replace Lost Or Damaged Documents After A Disaster
With all the recorded flooding in Louisiana over the past couple of weeks, people in South Louisiana have to deal with picking up the pieces and rebuilding their lives again. I mean some people lost everything from the homes, cars and personal belongings.
When you think of losing everything, people don't usually have top-of-mind awareness of that they may have lost important documents such as their birth certificates, drivers license, credit cards, and even your food stamp cards.
Well, we did some research and we found some great phone numbers and websites that can assist you in replacing any of the documents that you may have lost during a flood.
Now, if you were not affected by floods, then think about this! It's hurricane season, so this is a good list to have everything handy, just in case you may be in need of this info after a major disaster.
According to FEMA, here are the numbers you need to know:
SNAP Cards:
(Food Stamps): Phone: 1-888-524-3578
Website: www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP
Green Cards:
Phone: 800-375-5283
Website: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-card
Birth and Death Certificates:
Phone: 225-342-9500
Website: http://new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/635
Louisiana Driver’s Licenses:
Phone: 888-214-5367
Website: http://omv.dps.state.la.us/
Bank Checks, ATM/Debit Cards or Safe Deposit Boxes:
Phone: 877-275-3342
Website: https://www.fdic.gov/
Credit Reports: Equifax, Experian or TransUnion
Phone: 877-322-8228
Website: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action
Social Security Cards:
Phone: 800-772-1213
Website: https://www.ssa.gov/ssnumber/
Fraud Alerts or a Credit Freeze:
Website: http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/security_freeze_louisiana.html
Other support:
Identity Theft Resource Center:
Phone: 888-400-5530
Website: http://www.idtheftcenter.org/
Email: info@fightidentitytheft.com.
Medicare Cards:
Phone: 800-772-1213
https://faq.ssa.gov/ics/support/kbanswer.asp?deptID=34019&task=knowledge&questionID=3708
Passports:
Phone: 877-487-2778
Website: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/lost-stolen.html
Tax Returns:
Phone: 800-829-1040
Website: https://www.irs.gov/uac/About-Form-4506T
Military Records:
Phone: 866-272-6272
Website: https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/
Insurance Documents:
Phone: Check with your insurance agent.
Website: http://insurance.lawyers.com/natural-disasters/replacing-personal-documents-lost-in-a-disaster.html
Real Estate and Property Records (Mortgage Documents, Deeds, etc.):
Phone: Contact your agent.
http://insurance.lawyers.com/natural-disasters/replacing-personal-documents-lost-in-a-disaster.html
Medical and Prescription Records:
Call your doctor; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
Proof of Address/Residency:
Contact your local utility company to obtain a recent bill.
It's always good to be prepared in case of a disaster. We hope this helps.