I live 40 minutes from the Mississippi river. While my town has not been directly impacted by the floods, our community has provided support with sandbagging in area towns. My family had to pack my brother and his wife's belongings (even tearing up the carpet) from his river cabin, which is now under water.
Mother nature is paying us back with floods, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, and whatever else she can throw at us. It's heartbreaking to see so much disaster in our country and around the world. As a result, many families are not only displaced, but may have lost their means of financial support. Financial aid is probably the last thing on the minds of families impacted by a natural disaster, but at some point the financial burden will affect students.
If you experience a natural disaster that affects your financial situation, contact your school about a special circumstance. Financial aid administrators have the ability to perform what's called Professional Judgment to make changes to your FAFSA information. I encourage you to contact your financial aid representative even if the effects of the disaster are felt one or two years down the road.
I can't give a blanket statement about what changes your financial aid administrator can make because it will depend on the situation. Every Professional Judgment case is made on an individual basis, but your administrator will direct you as to what documentation is needed if a review is warranted.
As a side point, if the disaster affects your schoolwork or Internet connection, contact your school to let them know of your hardship. If you are unable to complete your classes because of Mother Nature, the school needs to know. Schools should be sympathetic to your situation. Remember that when you attempt coursework, you are put into that pesky policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress. Failure to earn the credit for courses in which you enroll could jeopardize your eligibility for future financial aid. It's important to keep in contact with your school to avoid having to appeal for financial aid in the future. On the other side, find out if your school has been impacted by a disaster. If so, you need to know what delays you may experience.