FEMA Disaster Assistance Registration Deadline is Only a Month Away

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The deadline to register for disaster assistance — Monday, August 26, 2013 – is only a month away.

With everything else that’s going on, time can slip away and, before you know it, it’s too late!

So if you had flood-related damage, be sure to register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) before the deadline.

Help is available for renters, homeowners and business owners in the Regional Educational Attendance Areas (REAAs) of Alaska Gateway, Lower Yukon, Yukon Flats, and Yukon-Koyukuk who suffered damage from the flooding of the Yukon River that occurred between May 17 and June 11, 2013.

Assistance to individuals can include awards to help pay for housing needs, essential home repairs and other disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources.

Survivors with flood damage can register in person with disaster specialists at either of two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) set up to assist them:

• In Galena at the Galena Interior Learning Academy, 359 Challenger Road.
• In Fairbanks at 751 Old Richardson Hwy., Suite 202.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday at both DRCs.

Survivors also can register by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Registration by mobile device is also available at www.m.fema.gov. Those with a speech disability or hearing loss who use TTY can call 800-462-7585 (TTY).  Multilingual registration can be done by phone.

Disaster officials advise those who intend to register at one of the DRCs to bring:

• Their Social Security number
• Current and pre-disaster address
• Block and lot number
• A telephone number where they can be contacted
• Insurance information
• Total household annual income.

Staff at the DRCs can review and update applicant information and address individual questions and concerns.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses and private, nonprofit organizations to cover costs of repair or replacement of damaged real estate, personal property, and business assets not covered by insurance or other aid. SBA offers disaster loans to cover working capital disaster needs caused by disaster for small businesses only and most private, nonprofit organizations,

There are three ways to apply for an SBA disaster loan:  After registering with FEMA, go online to SBA’s secure site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; call 1-800-659-2955 (deaf and hard-of-hearing call 1-800-877-8339); or, visit the Disaster Recovery Center for one-on-one service. For more information on SBA disaster assistance, go to www.sba.gov.