The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has requested Suffolk citizens who suffered damage from Hurricane Matthew register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA will examine how many residents from Suffolk have registered and will use this as part of its evaluation to determine if Suffolk should receive a declaration for individual assistance, which allows those who suffered damage to get help in recovering.

Suffolk was excluded from the original decision issued last week. It included only Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

If Suffolk is approved for individual assistance, those who suffered damage can get assistance such as grants and loans to cover expenses resulting from the hurricane.

City staff will be contacting individuals who have previously contacted Planning and Community Development so they can register their damage, according to a city press release Monday.

The city must submit information for the appeals process by Wednesday, so time is of the essence.

“If we are not made aware of these damages, our submission figures aren’t complete and may have a bearing on future determinations,” Deputy Fire Chief Brian Spicer stated in a recent press release. He is emergency management coordinator for the city.

Citizens should call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. They are not currently able to use the website to register, as Suffolk is not yet part of the declaration.