Disaster Assistance Available
Release Date: October 5, 2005
Release Number: 1603-063
» More Information on Louisiana Hurricane Katrina
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of Louisiana remind citizens of disaster-declared Louisiana parishes that federal and state disaster assistance is available.
Individuals and families who suffered losses as a direct result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita should apply for federal and state disaster aid by calling:
- 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)
- 1-800-462-7585 (TTY)
- Call 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice.
- People may also apply online at www.fema.gov
What is Disaster Assistance?
Under the Individuals and Households Program, individuals and families with uninsured or underinsured property damage due to the storms may be eligible to receive assistance for a variety of disaster-related needs. This assistance is meant to help with critical expenses that cannot be covered in other ways. Most financial assistance from the federal government is in the form of loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Applicants with FEMA may be required to fill out and return an SBA loan application before being considered for certain types of grants.
Housing Needs
- Temporary Housing (a place to live for a limited period of time): Eligible applicants may receive assistance to rent a different place to live or a government-provided housing unit when rental properties are not available.
- Repair: H omeowners may receive help to repair uninsured or underinsured disaster damage to their primary residence. The goal is to make the home safe, sanitary, and functional.
- Replacement: If their property was destroyed in the storm, h omeowners may get aid to help toward the cost of replacement.
Other Needs Assistance
Help is available in the following categories for necessary expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster:
- Medical
- Dental
- Funeral
- Personal property
- Transportation
- Moving and storage
- Other expenses authorized by law
Crisis Counseling
Immediate, short-term crisis counseling services are available to victims of presidentially declared disasters. Crisis Counseling helps individuals deal with grieving, stress or mental health problems caused or aggravated by a disaster or its aftermath. Free help is available to anyone who was living or visiting the area at the time of the hurricanes, by calling any of these numbers:
- 1-800-273-8255
- 1-866-615-8700
- 1-888-622-6470
The local Baton Rouge crisis line number is 1-255-924-3900. Crisis Counseling hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Additionally, representatives of the Crisis Counseling Program are available at some Disaster Recovery Center locations to link citizens with the services they need.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) provides assistance to eligible individuals who have become unemployed due to the disaster and who are unable to secure regular unemployment benefits.
- Hurricane victims who were living or working in Louisiana and lost their jobs as a result of the disaster should visit the Louisiana Works Web site at www.laworks.net .
- DUA for eligible dislocated workers may be available through the U.S. Department of Labor. Visit the Hurricane Recovery Assistance Web site at www.dol.gov/opa/hurricane-recovery.htm .
- The Katrina Recovery Job Connection Web site ( www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs ) provides information on jobs available in victims' home states or current location. For employment and training questions, call 1-877-US-2JOBS or TTY 1-877-889-5627 (for people who are speech- or hearing-impaired).
Legal Services
The purpose of Disaster Legal Services is to provide help to individuals who, for financial reasons, are unable to secure legal services adequate to meet their disaster-related needs. Persons in presidentially disaster-declared parishes may ask disaster-related questions about insurance claims, home repair contracts, consumer protection matters, landlord-tenant concerns, mortgage foreclosure, or debt collection problems. Advice or referrals are also provided on replacing wills, drafting powers of attorney and other important legal documents damaged or lost in the flood.
- Those needing legal assistance or information and referrals to lawyers , may call 1-800-3107029 or visit the American Bar Association Web site ( www.abanet.org/katrina ), the Legal Services Corporation Web site ( www.lsc.gov/katrina ), or Lawhelp.org at www.lawhelp.org/nationalhelp.cfm .
- In Louisiana , contact the Baton Rouge Bar Association Disaster Legal Services at 1-800-310-7029 ; open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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 and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Small Business Administration loans are the primary source of federal long-term recovery and cover uninsured or underinsured losses for personal property damages and real estate damages. After applicants have registered for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, SBA loans are offered to individuals and businesses with an ability to repay them.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 05-Oct-2005 15:01:21