Disaster Registration Deadline Three Weeks Away

AURORA, Ill. – Illinoisans who sustained damages during the April 16 to May 5 severe weather are encouraged to register with FEMA for disaster assistance before the registration period ends on July 9, 2013.

The registration process normally takes less than half an hour. Applicants will need to provide a social security number, current and pre-disaster address and phone number, insurance information and total household annual income. An applicant’s banking information (routing and account number) will be needed for direct deposit into an applicant’s account.

“We want to make sure all eligible residents get the assistance to which they are entitled,” said W. Michael Moore, the federal official in charge of disaster recovery. “However, to get help, residents must register.”

To date, more than $98.4 million in FEMA Individual Assistance has been approved. The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved disaster loans for residents and businesses of more than $15.0 million.

You can use the Disaster Recovery Center locator to find the nearest DRC, but it is not necessary to visit a DRC to register with FEMA.

Applicants may call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362.

Online registration is available at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. For more disaster assistance information, visit FEMA’s Illinois disaster website www.fema.gov/disaster/4116.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Media Contact: 571-408-1835