FEMA Adds Three Parishes for Individual Assistance Benefits

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisianians in three more parishes – East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and West Feliciana – can now apply for federal and state disaster assistance as the three were added Friday to the major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac.

Homeowners, renters and business owners in the three parishes may now register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance and report their uninsured or underinsured property damage or destruction from the storm.

“Residents of the three parishes should register with FEMA as soon as possible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall. “We have approved more than $100 million for survivors in Louisiana and we’d like to start getting help to eligible survivors in these three parishes as well.”

Disaster assistance for individuals may include:

• Grants to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make a home habitable;
• Grants for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance;
• Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. If you use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Residents of the parishes affected by the hurricane should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization or local community or church organization. FEMA registrants must use the name that appears on their Social Security card. Applicants will be asked to provide:

• Social Security number
• Address of the damaged home or apartment
• Description of the damage
• Information about insurance coverage
• A current contact telephone number
• An address where they can get mail
• Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.

In the 16 days since the major disaster declaration for Louisiana, Individual Assistance has been made available in 21 parishes: Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne and Washington, and now East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana and West Feliciana.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog .