Less than One Month Left to Register for Gustav Disaster Aid
Those Seeking Aid Should Call Toll-Free 1-800-621-fema by Nov. 25, 2008
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Release Number: 1794-033
» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Gustav
LONG BEACH, Miss. -- Residents in Adams, Hancock, Harrison, Washington and Wilkinson counties, who suffered damages or losses from Hurricane Gustav during the period of Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, 2008, have less than one month left to register for federal and state disaster assistance, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Those affected by Gustav have until Nov. 25, 2008, to apply for disaster assistance, which could include grants to help pay for temporary housing needs, essential home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also may be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.
To register for assistance or to check the status of an existing registration, call toll-free1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired. Online, go to www.fema.gov.
Nov. 25 is also the deadline to submit loan applications to the SBA. While no one is required to take out an SBA loan, disaster loan applications are a key part of the FEMA application process. A loan denial may open up other assistance to eligible applicants.
Registration for FEMA assistance must be done separately from registering for aid from any other organization. Register even if you have insurance. You may discover later that you were underinsured.
To date, FEMA has approved more than $9.5 million in Gustav disaster aid while the SBA has approved more than $664,000 in disaster loans to homeowners, renters, and businesses.
Information on SBA loan applications is also available by calling the toll-free SBA Customer Service Center, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 1-800-659-2955, or visit the SBA web site at www.sba.gov, or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. SBA loan applicants can visit SBA's secure Web site at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply online for disaster loans.
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.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 29-Oct-2008 09:23:45