Helpful Information On The Disaster Recovery Process
Release Date: November 30, 2004
Release Number: 1539-290
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Listed below is useful information for various Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), State Emergency Response Team (SERT) and other agency recovery services:
Registration: The initial step all persons should take to start the assistance process is to call their insurance agent to determine coverage their policy provides. Next, the applicant should call the FEMA toll-free registration number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments. Phone lines are open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Online registration also is available through www.fema.gov.
Florida residents impacted by the hurricanes must register by the deadline to be eligible for benefits. The registration process normally takes less than half an hour and applicants will need to provide your social security number, current and pre-disaster address and phone number, insurance information/type, total household annual income and financial information from your bank (routing and account number) if you want funds transferred directly to your financial institution.
Damage Inspections: After you have registered and it has been determined that an inspection is necessary, an inspection will be conducted in 7 to 10 days. If you do not hear from an inspector within 10 days, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Hiring Contractors: Residents who are repairing and/or rebuilding their homes can find a list of state-licensed contractors plus a variety of relevant articles and resources by logging on to the Disaster Contractors Network (DCN) website at www.dcnonline.org.
Licensure may also be verified through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation by calling 850.487.1395 or visiting www.MyFloridaLicense.com.
Unlicensed activity may be reported to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation at 850-488-6603. For more tips regarding hiring a contractor, please visit www.MyFlorida.com/dbpr . The website also provides a means to search for contractors by location and/or areas of specialty. Listings of out-of-state contractors are included; however, no licensing information is available for those contractors.
Flood Insurance: Following a disaster, a claim settlement could be reached within a month after the claim was filed. During incidents of multiple disasters, this time may vary.
Temporary Housing: If houses or apartments are not available, perhaps because of damage to existing rentals, a travel trailer may be made available. It will be placed on the same lot as the damaged home if possible, or on a commercial site. The time frame for this, barring complications, is two or three weeks after registration with 1-800-621-FEMA. For those who need such housing immediately, applicants should call the Florida Hurricane Housing Hotline at 1-888-472-1727 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time, seven days a week.
SBA Loan: After registering, many applicants, including homeowners, renters and businesses, will receive a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application in the mail. The application must be completed and returned to keep the door open for other types of assistance. For consistency, the applications that victims return are processed in the order they are received throughout the entire loan process. Victims who had damage from multiple storms only need to complete one SBA application. If their application was submitted prior to receiving additional damage, they should contact the SBA. If they have not yet submitted their application, damage from multiple storms can be addressed with one application. If a loan is not appropriate, the applicant may be referred to the Other Needs Assistance (ONA) grant program—but only after being declined by the SBA. They cannot apply directly to the ONA program. Therefore, those who do not complete the SBA loan application may be disqualifying themselves for other types of assistance. The applicant is not obligated to take an SBA loan if approved, but if the loan is offered and refused, there is no referral to grant programs.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA’s continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 01-Dec-2004 14:53:33