NEW YORK CITY — Since Hurricane Sandy struck New York, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than $449 million to help individuals and families recover from the disaster.

FEMA provides the following snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of Nov. 16:

•  More than 204,000 New Yorkers have contacted FEMA for information or registered for assistance with FEMA and more than $449 million has been approved.  More than 105,000 have applied through the online application site at www.disasterassistance.gov, or on their smart phone at m.fema.gov.

• 31 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are open in the affected areas.  These include mobile sites as well as fixed sites, and to date more than 27,000 survivors have been assisted at DRCs in New York.

• 1,249 inspectors in the field have completed 71,992 home inspections.

•  1,085 Community Relations (CR) specialists are strategically positioned throughout affected communities, going door to door explaining the types of disaster assistance available and how to register.

• 20 Points of Distribution (PODs) are open and providing supplies to the affected residents.

• 9 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs), 1 Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) and 1 National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) from the Department of Health and Human Services are deployed in New York.

•  There are 13 New York counties designated for both individual and public assistance, including: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.

• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has staff members at 15 Business Recovery Centers in the New York area to provide one-on-one help to business owners seeking disaster assistance and has approved more than $1.9 million in disaster loans.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is employing 220 long-haul trucks, three tugs and 19 barges to transfer material from temporary storage sites in Staten Island and Queens to the Seneca Meadows landfill in Waterloo, N.Y.

•  Individuals can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov.  Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) should call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.