VIDEO: Hurricane Assistance Available to Chathamites

Bill Nauta, the Chatham Borough Office of Emergency Management Coordinator, spoke before the Monday night encouraging any residents with property damage from to call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance.

"I finally convinced my neighbor to call. She said on Monday it took her 18 minutes to make a phone call. Tuesday the inspector was there. Thursday she had $1,000 in her bank account. I can't make it any simpler than this," Nauta said.

Tanger Pratt, Liz Gibson and Aurelio Christian, all from the FEMA, told the council about the different services the agency offers to those affected by the hurricane.

Among those services is assistance to those who lost their jobs as a direct result of Hurricane Irene and those who suffered property damage, such as floods, downed trees or mold damage.

"We've put it on everything we have, and people aren't using it. That seems like a waste to me," Nauta said.

The deadline to apply for disaster unemployment assistance is Oct. 3. The deadline to apply for individual assistance is Oct. 31.