FEMA, Private Sector Partner to Share Critical Information with Millions of Survivors

BATON ROUGE, La. – Critical recovery information has reached more than 2.3 million Hurricane Isaac survivors in Louisiana via Private Sector pathways, including businesses and nonprofit groups.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has partnered with the Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center, chambers of commerce and trade associations to share messaging such as how to register for federal disaster assistance in prominent locations. Examples include:

• The Outdoor Advertising Association of America displaying important registration information on electronic billboards,
• In Lafourche Parish, Water District #1 and South Coast Gas Co. included registration information with their bills, while Vision Communication posted that information on its community access channel, and  
• Lodgenet Interactive Corporation flashing that same registration information on screens in 23,000 local hotel rooms.

Businesses have even asked their workers to spread the word, helping the registration message reach more Hurricane Isaac survivors.   

FEMA’s Private Sector and Community Relations specialists have also teamed up to reach out to small, independent and owner-operated businesses, going door to door to learn about the challenges they face and to inform them of possible resources that may help them recover faster.

“The private sector plays an essential role in a community’s recovery,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall of FEMA. “Their partnership and collaboration with government agencies helps all of us carry out the mission of recovery in Louisiana.”

The major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac made federal assistance available to eligible survivors in 21 parishes: Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington and West Feliciana.

Individuals, families and business owners who sustained uninsured and underinsured damages in those parishes can register for assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov, via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers operate daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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 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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).