Six Weeks Left To Apply for Disaster Aid 

Release Date: January 30, 2006
Release Number: 1605-172

» More Information on Alabama Hurricane Katrina

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Alabama residents and business owners who suffered losses from Hurricane Katrina have just six weeks left to register for disaster assistance. March 11, 2006 is the last day to register through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It is also the deadline for returning the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application.

Those who were affected by Katrina may qualify for help under a wide-range of federal and state programs. These include temporary disaster housing assistance; SBA low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses; and assistance for disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

Individuals may be eligible for assistance if they lived or worked in any of the eleven counties designated under the federal disaster declaration. The counties are Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Washington. Evacuees from other states may also register for assistance and should do so by the March 11 deadline.

The toll-free registration line is 800-621-FEMA (3362). For the hearing- or speech-impaired the (TTY) registration number is 800-462-7585. Both lines are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Individuals may also register online at www.fema.gov.

To check the status of an application already filed, call the toll-free registration number above or 800-659-2955 to check the status of a SBA application. Have your file number handy when you call. You may also check your FEMA application status online at www.fema.gov.

To date, over 112,000 individuals have registered for assistance in Alabama, resulting in more than $118 million in Individual Assistance and close to $75 million in SBA loans.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program.

Last Modified: Monday, 30-Jan-2006 16:32:17