Okaloosa and Walton Residents Now Eligible for Disaster Assistance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Survivors in Okaloosa and Walton counties whose homes were damaged during the recent storms, tornadoes and flooding in the Florida Panhandle are now eligible to apply for Individual Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Homeowners and renters in the two additional counties may now register with FEMA for assistance, and report their uninsured or underinsured property damage or destruction from the severe storms during the period of April 28 through May 6. Escambia and Santa Rosa counties were previously designated under the major disaster declaration.

Disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured individuals may include:

• Money to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs.

• Money for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance.

• Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Survivors can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone 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. local time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

Florida residents should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization.

For more information on Florida disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4177. Visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management website at floridadisaster.org or Facebook page at facebook.com/FloridaSERT.

###

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.