JACKSON, Miss. – If you sustained damage from the April 28 through May 3 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding, your insurance settlement may not cover all of your expenses. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration encourage you to register for disaster assistance by Monday, June 30, 2014, as it may help cover unexpected disaster expenses that arise later.

Register for FEMA assistance and you may avoid unexpected, uncovered expenses, such as:

  • Your insurance settlement is delayed, but you need to relocate because your home is uninhabitable.
  • Damage in your home is not revealed until contractors are able to conduct a more comprehensive inspection of your home’s structure.
  • You exhaust the additional living expenses provided by your insurance company and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing.

Not registering with FEMA may disqualify you for assistance that could help with unexpected expenses. You have until Monday, June 30, 2014, to register. Take a few minutes now to give yourself peace of mind in the future. You can register any of three ways: online at DisasterAssistance.gov, on a mobile device at m.fema.gov, or by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362.) People who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.

If you have registered with FEMA and were referred to SBA’s disaster loan program, it’s wise to follow through and keep your options open by submitting the application before June 30.

Some of the top reasons for submitting an SBA application by the deadline include:

  • A future insurance settlement may fall short. You may find you are underinsured for the amount of work it takes to repair or replace your damaged home. An SBA low-interest loan can cover the uninsured costs. By submitting the loan application on time, you may have loan money available when it is needed. SBA can approve a loan for the repair or replacement of a home up to $200,000. The loan balance may be reduced by your insurance settlement. However, the opportunity for an SBA disaster loan may be lost if you wait until after the June 30 application deadline.
  • SBA can help renters repair or replace disaster damaged personal property. Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace clothing, furniture, appliances and damaged vehicles.
  • By submitting an SBA loan application, you keep the full range of disaster assistance available as an option. If you do not qualify for a loan, SBA may refer you back to FEMA for grants to replace essential household items, replace or repair a damaged vehicle, or cover storage expenses, among other serious disaster-related needs. But if you do not submit your disaster loan application, the assistance process may stop. You are not required to accept a loan if one is offered. 

Complete the SBA disaster loan application online at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. For additional information about SBA low-interest disaster loans, contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339 or by emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. For more information on SBA disaster loans, go to sba.gov/disaster.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4175. Visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency website at msema.org or the Facebook page at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Don’t Wait Until it’s too Late: Have a Back-up Plan and Register by June 30

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