BATON ROUGE — FEMA urges Louisiana residents who applied for disaster relief assistance to answer unfamiliar calls. 

After Louisianans apply for assistance, FEMA may call to schedule an inspection to determine if the home is safe and functional after Tropical Storm Arthur. These calls may come from unfamiliar area codes or phone numbers, the agency warns. If FEMA cannot reach the resident to schedule an inspection, it may delay their process. 

FEMA said in a news release that all inspectors will have a photo ID and will never request any type of payment. 

If applicants receive a call and want to confirm it's a representative, FEMA asked them to call 800-621-3362 to verify the caller’s identity.

The deadline to apply for assistance for Avoyelles, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes is Aug. 31.