The Christie Administration today announced that New Jersey residents affected by Hurricane Sandy now have until January 30, 2013 to register for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The single most important step people can take in this recovery period is to register with FEMA, if they haven’t already,” said Governor Christie. “The process of a family receiving any type of federal disaster assistance begins with registering as a disaster survivor with FEMA and working with a coordinator to determine what sort of relief they are eligible for. This extension will help us ensure that anyone who has been affected by the storm gets registered and the help they need and deserve.”

People with storm losses in all counties can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone or tablet here.

Survivors also can register by phone or 711/VRS by calling 800-621-3362, TTY800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

At the request of the state, FEMA extended the registration deadline beyond the original 60 day window due to the magnitude of the Hurricane Sandy disaster.

The disaster registration process serves as a referral point for FEMA programs and those of partner agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Small Business Administration.

FEMA disaster assistance for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property losses and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance. TLS.