Help Available for Tropical Storm Debby Survivors

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – There are a number of ways for Tropical Storm Debby survivors to get help as they recover from Tropical Storm Debby.

Information and assistance is available in the following ways:

• Anyone who has questions about a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the agency’s programs for individuals, can call the toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and assistance is available in most languages. Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the TTY line at 800-462-7585.

• Information on recovery programs also is available at www.DisasterAssistance.gov and www.FloridaDisaster.org.

• Survivors and businesses may obtain information on low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration by calling 800-659-2955 or online at www.sba.gov. Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the TTY line at 800-877-8339.

• The Florida Volunteer and Donation Hotline can connect survivors with a local volunteer agency: 800-FL-HELP-1 (800-354-3571).

• Survivors who can’t afford an attorney and run into legal difficulties due to the storm may call the Florida Disaster Legal Services hotline at 866-550-2929 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Assistance is available in Spanish.

Survivors have until Sept. 4 to register for federal disaster assistance by calling FEMA.

Applicants can sign up for Tropical Storm Debby recovery updates via email by going to www.fema.gov/disaster/4068 and clicking the subscription link. It’s a simple process that only requires a valid email address. During signup, subscribers can choose to receive updates immediately, daily or weekly.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or www.floridadisaster.org. On Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/FloridaSERT. To receive Twitter updates: www.twitter.com/FLSERT or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.

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). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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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