Don't Miss Out on Disaster Assistance
Release Date: August 15, 2007
Release Number: 1712-036
» More Information on Oklahoma Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- With fewer than three weeks to go before the September 5 deadline to register for disaster assistance, officials of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge Oklahomans affected by recent severe storms, flooding and tornadoes to make sure they have applied for all the federal assistance for which they may be eligible.
Only those who have applied to FEMA by Sept. 5, 2007, may be eligible for the variety of individual assistance programs made available to the following 20 Oklahoma counties now included in the July 7, Presidential Disaster Declaration: Blaine, Bryan, Canadian, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Logan, Kiowa, McClain, Nowata, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Seminole, Stephens and Washington.
To apply for disaster assistance, call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired. Phone lines are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Application also may be made on-line at www.fema.gov.
Here are some key points to remember:
- Even if you have received assistance from the American Red Cross, you MUST still apply directly to FEMA for federal disaster assistance.
The Red Cross is there in the first days after a disaster to provide for immediate needs of food, clothing and shelter. But FEMA programs are designed to help with long-term recovery, which starts with housing assistance. Federal assistance comes in the form of grants or U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, but applicants must apply specifically to each in order to be considered for eligibility.
- Even if you have insurance, you may still be eligible for disaster assistance.
Even though your homeowner's policy may cover most of the cost of repairing your home, there may be some things insurance does not fully cover. Federal disaster assistance may be able to help fill the gaps in insurance coverage.
- You don't have to wait for your insurance adjuster's inspection or settlement before seeking federal assistance or beginning repairs on your home.
You should begin making repairs on your home as soon as possible to return it to a safe, sanitary condition. Be sure to keep all paperwork and receipts pertaining to work done, and never let any work begin before first obtaining a written estimate. Have insurance settlement papers handy when you apply for federal assistance. This information is necessary in order to determine what unmet needs you may have.
- If you have received an SBA loan application and have not completed and returned it, this could delay other forms of disaster assistance.
In a disaster declaration, the SBA is the primary source of financial assistance. If you have received an SBA loan application, you must complete and return it to be considered for other grants and programs. If you do not qualify for a loan, you will be referred for other federal or state assistance, such as FEMA's Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program, which covers disaster-related costs such as furniture, medical and dental expenses, funeral and burial expenses, and transportation expenses. Applicants will not be considered for ONA until they have applied to and been denied by SBA. You can get help by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or on-line at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.
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, 15-Aug-2007 16:43:57