Why I created this app

I have worked in disaster services with many different organizations for more than 30 years. I have been part of major relief operations like Hurricane Katrina and terror attacks, and I have responded to small and large home and apartment building fires. I have also worked unique incidents, like the Deutsche Bank building fire in New York City and the Golden Venture rescue, when a cargo ship carrying hundreds of people from China ran aground off a New York City beach and passengers jumped into the cold water for a chance at the American dream.

Those years let me talk with clients and responders, so I have an idea of what people are looking for when they are going through a disaster, or responding to one and working with the people affected. This app came from those conversations and from my own experience. I wanted to put these resources at people's fingertips so that when a disaster happens, their recovery is faster, less complicated and not intimidating.

Donnell Nichols
Creator of NC Disaster Recovery Hub and Executive Director of C4I Veteran Services Corp.

Who it is for

• People affected by a disaster

  Find housing, food, documents, insurance and legal help, and keep your case numbers and notes in one private place. For the public

• Responders from any agency

  Caseworkers, volunteers and agency staff can share their contact details with clients and suggest resources for review. For responders

• Administrators

  Administrators approve responder accounts, review submitted resources before they are published and send opt-in alerts. How review works

What the app does

• Recovery resources

  Phone numbers, websites and step-by-step guides: housing and shelter, relocating, free legal help, replacing documents step by step (Social Security card, driver license or ID, birth certificate, bank cards, passport, Medicaid and EBT cards), jobs and income (NCWorks and unemployment help), relief organizations, getting a fire report, insurance, and board-up and cleanup companies, with warnings about what to read before you sign.

• All 100 counties

  A page for every North Carolina county: emergency management, social services (DSS), health department, Register of Deeds, county fire marshal, long-term recovery groups where they exist, school districts and nearby fire departments. Tap "Use my location" to find your county; the lookup runs on your phone.

• Find places nearby

  Hotels and motels, and cultural and religious food pantries and stores. The hotel search runs on your phone; your location is not sent anywhere.

• Private notes

  With a free account: case numbers by agency (FEMA, Red Cross, insurance and more), notes and a referral tracker with follow-up dates. Only you can see them.

• Fire departments and schools

  Every North Carolina fire department and station, searchable by name, city, ZIP or county, with a non-emergency number and directions. Every school district in the state, with its website and phone.

• Share cards from responders

  A responder can give you a card with their contact details and next steps by QR code or a short code. Nothing is saved until you agree, and it goes into your private notes. The responder never sees your information.

• Emergency numbers on every screen

  911, 988, NC 211 and the Red Cross are always one tap away. There is also help getting a phone number if yours was lost: Lifeline, TextNow and Google Voice, with what each one needs.

• Opt-in alerts

  Statewide and county notifications about disaster recovery news. Off until you turn them on. About alerts

• English and Spanish

  The whole app is in English and Spanish, with help for other languages: translation apps and free interpreters. About translation

• Home care guides

  Cleaning up after a fire or flood, preventing mold and keeping food safe in a power outage, from CDC, EPA, USDA, FEMA and Red Cross guidance.

• Works offline

  Once opened, the resource lists, county pages and fire department finder keep working without internet.

Private by design

No ads, analytics, trackers or cookies. Your notes stay private unless you choose to share them. You can download your data or delete your account at any time in Settings. Privacy summary

NC Disaster Recovery Hub is a resource and referral app only. The disaster relief organizations and government agencies listed in the app are not affiliated with the app or with C4I Veteran Services Corp. Disclaimer