Registration Deadline for Disaster Assistance Just Days Away
Release Date: November 6, 2008
Release Number: 1785-085
» More Information on Florida Tropical Storm Fay
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Monday, Nov. 10, is the final deadline for any Florida resident with disaster-related damage in the 27 designated counties hit by Tropical Storm Fay to register for Individual Assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The counties include: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Clay, Collier, Duval, Gadsden, Glades, Hendry, Jefferson, Lake, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Polk, Seminole, St. Lucie, Taylor, Volusia and Wakulla counties.
Available assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for renters, homeowners and businesses of all sizes to cover uncompensated property losses, and other programs that help meet eligible disaster-related needs.
Registration takes about 20 minutes. Apply online at www.fema.gov or by a toll-free telephone call to 800-621-FEMA (3362). For the speech- or hearing-impaired the number is TTY 800-462-7585. Registration hours are daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Multilingual operators are available. Nov. 10 is also the deadline for homeowners, renters and businesses to return applications to the SBA for loans to cover disaster-related damages to real and personal property.
Individuals do not need to apply for an SBA loan before they can receive FEMA's temporary housing assistance, which includes rental assistance, home repair and replacement funds, as well as grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses. However, an applicant must complete an SBA loan application to be eligible for FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
Officials urge everyone who has registered with FEMA and received an SBA application to complete the form and return it even if they are not seeking a loan. Submitting the SBA application by the deadline is required before applicants can be considered for some types of FEMA aid.
Information about SBA programs is available by calling 800-659-2955 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday until further notice, or online at www.sba.gov.
A Helpline option is also available by calling the FEMA toll-free numbers. Registered applicants may ask questions about disaster assistance programs or the status of their applications, or request an appeal.
Those who have applied for assistance can stay in touch with recovery specialists by using the FEMA Helpline option at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or the TTY line for the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech impaired at 800-462-7585 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until further notice. On the Web, disaster information remains available 24 hours a day at www.fema.gov. Homeowners, renters and businesses in designated counties should use the same FEMA toll-free lines or Web site to register for FEMA disaster assistance programs.
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: Thursday, 06-Nov-2008 12:00:01