Registration Deadline in Two Weeks for Tropical Storm Fay
Release Date: October 27, 2008
Release Number: 1785-076
» More Information on Florida Tropical Storm Fay
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The countdown clock is ticking loudly for any Florida resident who had property damage or other losses as a result of Tropical Storm Fay that swamped most of the state in late August. Only two weeks remain to register for federal-state disaster assistance.
Nov. 10 is the deadline for residents in 27 designated counties to apply for a wide range of FEMA disaster assistance programs. 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.
Recovery officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Emergency Response Team urge any residents still waiting for insurance settlements or other documentation to register without delay.
Registration is easy. Apply online at www.fema.gov or by a toll-free telephone call to 800-621-FEMA (3362). The hard of hearing, deaf or speech impaired may call the TTY number at 800-462-7585 to apply. Multilingual operators are available to speak to applicants. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to midnight daily until further notice. Applicants may also register online at www.fema.gov.
Registration hours are from 7 a.m. to midnight. Multilingual operators are available to assist with registration.
A Helpline option is also available by calling the FEMA toll-free numbers listed above, which also serve as FEMA's Helpline. Applicants may ask questions about disaster assistance programs or the status of their previously filed applications, or request an appeal.
Today, Oct. 27, is the deadline for homeowners, renters and businesses to return applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (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.
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: Tuesday, 28-Oct-2008 08:48:29