Tropical Storm Debby Help is Ongoing

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Tropical Storm Debby survivors can continue to get help from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies.

Survivors can still apply for federal disaster assistance by calling FEMA’s 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.

People may also call the helpline or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov to get updates on the status of their application and to get answers to their recovery questions.

To date, almost 7,600 visitors have stopped by disaster recovery centers. Some centers closed following a decrease in traffic, indicating the information needs of survivors in those areas have mostly been met.

In addition to the helpline, assistance is available from the following agencies:

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

• Survivors and businesses may obtain information from the U.S. Small Business Administration by calling 800-659-2955. Survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the TTY line at800-877-8339 or online at www.sba.gov.

• Survivors who can’t afford an attorney who 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 4 p.m. Assistance is available in Spanish.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance is available to survivors in participating counties. Claimants should visit www.floridajobs.org/dua or by calling 800-204-2418, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://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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