First Step Toward Disaster Assistance- Registration with FEMA
Release Date: May 15, 1999
Release Number: 1273-13
» More Information on Kansas Tornadoes and Severe Storms
WICHITA, Kan. -- One of the first steps in the disaster recovery process is to call the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If you are a renter, homeowner, business owner or agricultural producer in Reno, Sedgwick or Sumner county with damages or losses from the May 3 tornado, where can you get help?
A call to FEMA will connect you with federal and state programs designed to help you recover from storm losses and damage. Registering with other relief agencies, such as the American Red Cross, will not connect you with FEMA or the State of Kansas disaster assistance programs. To get assistance through those programs, you must call 1-800-462-9029.
Assistance can include grants to pay for temporary housing, minor home repairs and other disaster-related expenses. Low-interest, long-term loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also are available to defray the costs of residential and business losses not covered by insurance. Qualifying for disaster assistance is not dependent upon income level.
To register with FEMA takes only about 15 minutes. Call, toll-free, 1-800-462-9029 (for TTY service, call 1-800-462-7585). Callers will receive information and applications based on these interviews. The registration numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (CDT), seven days a week, until further notice.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 17-Dec-2003 15:28:31