TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Even if survivors of Tropical Storm Debby have insurance, temporary disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency may still help.

Disaster assistance may be able to fill insurance gaps or help those who have been waiting more than 30 days on a homeowner’s insurance claim.

To receive assistance residents must write a letter to FEMA explaining their situation and provide insurance documentation that proves they filed their claim. Any help awarded is considered an advance and may need to be repaid promptly to FEMA once an insurance settlement is received.

Assistance may also be available to those who have exhausted their policy’s additional living expenses.

Survivors need to mail their insurance information and their letter requesting help to:

FEMA

National Processing Service Center

P.O. Box 10055

Hyattsville, MD 20782-70155

Or fax it to: 800-827-8112

Survivors must repay their disaster assistance if there is a duplication of benefits after they receive their insurance settlement.

Those who still have questions may call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362).

Assistance is available in most languages and lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.

They may also call the state Insurance Consumer Advocate helpline at 877-693-5236, toll-free in Florida, and 850-413-3089 from out of state.

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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