Only One Week Left To Apply For Disaster Assistance
Release Date: December 4, 2008
Release Number: 1791-297
» More Information on Texas Hurricane Ike
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas homeowners, renters, and business owners who suffered damages from Hurricane Ike have just one week left to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster assistance.
FEMA's registration deadline is Dec. 12. State and federal officials urge Texans who had damage from Hurricane Ike to register with FEMA as soon as possible by calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585, or by visiting FEMA's Web site, www.fema.gov.
Both the Helpline and online registration service are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"FEMA is here to help, and we don't want Texans with disaster damages to miss the opportunity for assistance," said Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen DeBlasio. "If you haven't registered yet, please do so."
Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources.
The deadline to apply for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans is also Dec. 12. SBA loans are the federal government's primary source of money for the long-term repair or rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property that is not fully covered by insurance. Potential SBA loan applicants, -- which include homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and certain nonprofits -- must register with FEMA first.
Those who have registered may check on their application's status by calling the Helpline, which has an automated status update function; go to www.fema.gov, or visit one of FEMA's Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC).
More information about the Hurricane Ike disaster is available online at www.fema.gov or www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.
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: Thursday, 04-Dec-2008 09:35:12