Disaster Assistance Deadline Tomorrow; $37.2 Million Approved
Release Date: February 6, 2008
Release Number: 1734-065
» More Information on Washington Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides
LACEY, Wash. -- Tomorrow, Feb. 7th, is the last day for Washington individuals, families and businesses with damages from the severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides Dec. 1-17, 2007 to register for disaster assistance, according to officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Washington Emergency Management Division (EMD).
More than 10,242 people have registered for disaster assistance and more than $37.2 million in disaster assistance has been approved. Washington residents who suffered damage from the storms are eligible to register with FEMA if they live in one of the following designated counties: Clallam, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Snohomish, Thurston and Wahkiakum.
To be eligible for consideration for federal/state assistance, applicants must call FEMA or go online and register by that date. Homeowners who received a disaster loan application should complete and return it to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), even if they are not sure if they will want a loan. If SBA cannot approve an application, in most cases it will be referred for consideration by the Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program for a possible additional assistance grant.
Individual and Households Assistance to the designated counties is shown below at COB Feb. 5, 2008.
| Total Registrations | Housing Assistance Approved Amount | Other Needs Assistance Approved Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clallam: | 239 | $188,765 | $9,985 |
| Grays Harbor: | 3,637 | $1,407,206 | $182,624 |
| King: | 790 | $1,214,318 | $115,462 |
| Kitsap: | 858 | $1,280,850 | $43,647 |
| Lewis: | 2,404 | $9,257,337 | $1,897,058 |
| Mason: | 603 | $1,096,803 | $52,720 |
| Pacific: | 1,030 | $431,729 | $30,522 |
| Snohomish: | 273 | $415,964 | $28,483 |
| Thurston: | 304 | $638,144 | $25,629 |
| Wahkiakum: | 57 | $128,660 | $2,258 |
The SBA has approved $14,060,900 for individual loans and $4,724,300 for loans to businesses, for a total of $18,785,200 of approved loans.
Anyone who suffered damage can apply for assistance by calling FEMAs toll-free number: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday (TTY 1-800-462-7585). Additionally, those affected by the disaster may apply for assistance by going online to www.fema.gov, which is available around the clock.
ASSISTANCE JUST A TOLL-FREE CALL AWAY
While thousands of disaster survivors have already received financial assistance from the State, FEMA and SBA disaster programs, some applicants may still have questions, and disaster officials are reminding applicants that the answer to their questions may just be a toll-free call away.
If you have questions about the assistance you received or still have unmet needs, give the representatives from those disaster agencies a chance to try to resolve the issue or to provide additional information, said State Coordinating Officer Kurt Hardin.
Several toll-free lines have been established to address a variety of assistance programs for applicants throughout the 10 designated counties. Each of these numbers is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
We realize that disaster assistance was only designed to cover essential disaster-related losses, not covered by insurance or other programs, but we want to ensure that all applicants receive all the assistance that they are entitled to, said FEMAs Federal Coordinating Officer Willie Nunn.
The special toll-free numbers include:
- FEMA Helpline (1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585) If you wish to check on the status of your claim, update your insurance settlement, or have questions about the disaster assistance you received.
- State Other Needs Assistance Hotline (1-800-688-3469) If you have received Other Needs Assistance (for personal property, medical, dental, funeral and transportation) and have questions about that program or still have unmet needs.
- SBA Helpline (1-800-659-2955 or TTY 1-800-877-8339) If individuals or business owners want to check on the status of their loan applications, update information, or have questions about SBAs disaster loan program.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
SBA is the federal governments primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 06-Feb-2008 17:16:46