FDEM and FEMA Teams Canvassing Hurricane-Stricken Areas in Florida

Atlanta, Ga.–Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams are working in hurricane-stricken neighborhoods to help Florida hurricane survivors register for assistance.

The teams are made up of disaster specialists from the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They are canvassing areas to give residents an opportunity to register for disaster assistance and to quickly identify and address immediate and emerging needs. The teams can also provide application updates and referrals to additional resources when needs remain.

These mobile team members can be identified easily by their photo identifications and FDEM or FEMA clothing. Florida residents are reminded to ask for photo identification before providing personal information.

Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by Hurricane Hermine from August 31 to September 11, 2016, in Citrus, Dixie, Hernando, Hillsborough, Leon, Levy, Pasco, and Pinellas counties are eligible to register for federal assistance.

In addition to the registration opportunity offered by recovery teams, survivors can register for assistance by the following methods:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• By calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362, which is video relay service accessible. Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have difficulty speaking may call TTY 800-462-7585. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Assistance is available in multiple languages.
• Business owners can find an electronic loan application on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Questions can be answered by calling the SBA disaster customer service center at 800-659-2955/ (TTY) 800-877-8339 or visiting sba.gov/disaster.

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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