BATON ROUGE, La. – Residents of Pointe Coupee Parish working to recover from Hurricane Isaac may now apply for federal and state disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as the parish was added Wednesday to the major disaster declaration for the hurricane.

“Our Individual Assistance experts are ready to get help to eligible Hurricane Isaac survivors in Pointe Coupee Parish,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gerard M. Stolar. “Survivors should register with FEMA as soon as possible so we can begin to work with them and determine their needs.”

Homeowners, renters and business owners with uninsured or underinsured property damage may register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Disaster assistance for individuals may include: 

• Grants to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make a home habitable;
• Grants for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance;
• Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured 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 or local community or church organization. FEMA registrants must use the name that appears on their Social Security card. Applicants will be asked to provide: 

• Social Security number
• Address of the damaged home or apartment
• Description of the damage
• Information about insurance coverage
• A current contact telephone number
• An address where they can get mail
• Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.

The latest addition brings to 26 the total number of parishes for which Individual Assistance has been made available in Louisiana: Allen, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.

For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.