This past weekend’s winter storm might have had a silver lining — the deadline to register for disaster assistance related to Hurricane Matthew has been extended by 14 days.

The state of North Carolina requested the extension, which was approved Saturday. The new deadline is Jan. 23. This deadline extension is the second one since North Carolina residents became eligible to apply for federal disaster recovery assistance. The state requested more time for victims because of a notable dip in registrations during the holiday season. Additionally, this past weekend’s winter storm may have prevented some people who intended to register from doing so.

Gov. Roy Cooper said the state’s top priority during the weekend was keeping families safe during the winter storm. Cooper, in a news release, urged hurricane victims to register with FEMA, as soon as conditions improve, to determine what kinds of aid might be available to them to help them recover.

The new Jan. 23 deadline to register with FEMA applies to homeowners, renters and businesses submitting applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Registration is open to victims in 45 of the state’s 100 counties, including Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Washington, Pitt and Tyrrell counties.

As of Monday, 27,959 individual assistance applications from North Carolina had been approved, according to FEMA, with $88 million in individual and household program funding had been approved by the federal government, with the majority of that amount — about $61 million — earmarked for housing assistance, and about $27 million allocated for other-needs assistance. Housing assistance provides money for disaster-related housing needs, while other-needs assistance provides funds for other disaster-related needs such as household furnishings, transportation and medical care.

As of Sunday, 658 Beaufort County residents had registered with FEMA for assistance, with 214 of them approved for assistance totaling $489,844.68, according to Debra Young, a FEMA media-relations specialist. Of that amount, $311,625.98 was for housing assistance, with $178,218.70l approved for other-needs assistance.

Homeowners, renters and business owners who suffered losses or damages caused by Matthew should call 1-800-621-3362 to register for assistance or go online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov and register by downloading FEMA’s mobile app, according to a news release. For those who use 711 or Video Relay Service, the number is also 1-800-621-3362. For people using TTY, the number is 1-800-462-7585. These toll-free numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Operators are ready to assist people in multiple languages.

People registering for assistance will need the following information:

• Social Security number;
• address of the damaged home or apartment;
• description of the damage;
• information about insurance coverage;
• a current contact telephone number;
• an address where mail can be sent;
• bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.