Insured Individuals Should Apply Now
Release Date: December 23, 2004
Release Number: 1545-239
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Frances
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Individuals who have contacted their agents and are waiting for settlements are urged to apply for assistance as soon as possible by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Once homeowners or renters have registered for disaster assistance, they are in the FEMA, SERT and SBA assistance systems.
Insured individuals impacted by the recent storms may call FEMA’s toll free number 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply. TTY service is available at 1-800-462-7585 for individuals who are speech- or hearing-impaired. Phone lines are open from 6 a.m. to midnight. The service is closed on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 24 and 25, for the holidays.
SBA urges all disaster victims to submit their loan applications as soon as possible after FEMA registration, regardless of the status of their insurance claims. By taking such action, a disaster victim continues the recovery process by allowing the SBA to process a loan to repair or replace their disaster-damaged property.
SBA takes into account insurance settlements received by the disaster victim and may adjust the eligible loan amount accordingly.
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.
Last Modified: Thursday, 23-Dec-2004 10:48:15