FEMA and SBA Registration Deadline is Feb. 12

WINDSOR, Conn. — Homeowners, renters, nonprofits and businesses of all sizes have until Tuesday, Feb. 12 to register for FEMA disaster assistance or apply for disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today.

Residents of Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties, as well as the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribal Nations within New London County, are eligible to apply for assistance with Hurricane Sandy-related losses.

Survivors can register online anytime day or night at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or with a smartphone or other Web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Survivors can also register, check status of applications or receive other assistance by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern, seven days a week. The TTY number is 800-462-7585. Multilingual operators are available.

Registering for disaster assistance with other agencies or organizations does not register survivors for FEMA disaster assistance. Having FEMA flood insurance does not register policyholders for FEMA disaster assistance, nor does it disqualify anyone from applying for assistance. Flood insurance claims are handled separately.

More SBA disaster loan information may be obtained by calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (TTY users, call 800-877-8339) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Apply online at SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. For more information about the SBA disaster loan program, visit the SBA website at www.sba.gov/sandy.

So far, more than 12,000 Connecticut residents have registered for state and federal assistance and assistance approved is more than $41.5 million.  Of that total is nearly $30 million in low-interest disaster loans through the SBA.

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 800-621-3362. For TTY, call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

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.