FEMA, SBA Deadline Less Than Two Weeks Away

Jackson, Miss. – The deadline for Mississippi storm survivors to register for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and apply for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration is June 30.  

Residents of Itawamba, Jones, Leake, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, Wayne, and Winston counties who suffered damages as a result of the tornadoes, severe storms and flooding that occurred from April 28 through May 3, 2014, may be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.

Assistance for homeowners and renters may include money to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs.

Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance. Filling out the SBA loan application is an important step toward recovery. No one has to accept a disaster loan, but completing and returning the application may open the door to other forms of assistance, such as additional FEMA grants. The deadline to submit a completed loan application is June 30.

Survivors can register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Central Time). Multilingual operators are available.

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, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting 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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