SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – While nearly $12 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for Nov. 17 Illinois tornado survivors, the deadline to register for help is approaching.

Survivors must register by Monday, Jan. 27 to be considered for federal disaster assistance.

No applications can be accepted after the deadline, but FEMA will continue to approve disaster assistance for eligible survivors who applied in time.

The FEMA helpline 800-621-FEMA (3362) will remain operational after Jan. 27 for survivors who have questions about the status of their applications or letters they may receive from FEMA.

FEMA continues working throughout Illinois to ensure survivors do not lose eligible grants. This includes:

• Face-to-face help at the Disaster Recovery Center in East Peoria at the Festival of Lights Building and the Disaster Recovery Center in Brookport at the Brookport Library. Hours are     9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
• Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams providing one-to-one help in affected areas.
• FEMA voluntary agency liaison specialists working with community- and faith-based organizations to identify and provide assistance to survivors.

Federal disaster assistance may be available for the following:        

• Temporary housing for homeowners and renters.
• Home repairs.
• Other serious disaster-related expenses for homeowners and renters not met by insurance or other assistance programs.
• Low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration that may cover losses for homeowners, renters and business owners not fully compensated by insurance.

Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or with a smartphone or tablet by visiting m.fema.gov. They can also register and get questions answered over the phone by calling FEMA’s helpline, 800-621-FEMA (3362) or visiting a Disaster Recovery Center to register and check the status of a FEMA application. Survivors who use a TTY can call 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

For the latest information on Illinois’ recovery from the Nov. 17 storms, visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4157. Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, facebook.com/fema and youtube.com/fema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of funding for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339).

FEMA News Desk: 217-522-2080

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