FEMA Specialists Reach Out to Survivors in Kentucky Communities

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Specialists with the Federal Emergency Management Agency are reaching out to survivors in Kentucky’s storm-ravaged communities of Carter, Johnson, Rowan and Trimble counties to help individuals register for assistance. Survivors may meet a specialist in their neighborhood or speak to one on the phone.

FEMA disaster survivor assistance specialists and FEMA Corps members are canvassing affected areas to provide on-site registration assistance, address immediate and emerging needs, and answer any questions about the registration process. Specialists can also provide referrals to additional resources.

FEMA crews are visiting homes, businesses, local organizations and churches in the four counties, which were declared eligible for federal assistance. Using wireless tablets, FEMA crews can help a survivor fill out an application for assistance on the spot. FEMA representatives wear FEMA clothing and will provide FEMA photo identification. Kentuckians should ask for this federal identification before providing personal information.

Survivors may also receive a phone call from FEMA specialists after they have registered for disaster assistance.

If called, applicants could be asked to verify their identity with some of the following information:

• The last four digits of their Social Security number.
• The address of their damaged home.
• The applicant’s current mailing address.
• The applicant’s current phone number.

If applicants receive a phone call from FEMA representatives and question the validity of the caller, they can contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to verify the source of the call. FEMA will not call applicants to request any banking information.

Should residents receive a call asking for banking information, they should contact the Kentucky Attorney General’s office at 888-432-9257 or local law enforcement.

Survivors in the four counties currently designated for Individual Assistance can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

For more information on Kentucky disaster recovery, visit http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4239 or visit the Kentucky Emergency Management Agency website at http://kyem.ky.gov/DisasterNews.                                                                  

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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.

For more information on Kentucky’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://kyem.ky.gov. On Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/KYEmergencyManagement. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/kyempio or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.