FEMA Officials: Don’t Wait for Insurance Settlement to Seek Disaster Aid

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas residents living in any of the nine counties declared a federal disaster area do not have to wait for an insurance settlement to register for disaster aid for damage from the severe spring storms.

“Arkansans may find they are underinsured or that their policies do not cover temporary housing while repairing or rebuilding their homes,” said Nancy M. Casper, the federal coordinating officer with FEMA. “Don’t wait for an insurance settlement before registering with FEMA — you could miss out on disaster aid you may be eligible for.”

Residents of Crawford, Garland, Howard, Jefferson, Little River, Miller, Perry, Sebastian and Sevier counties affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of May 7 to June 15, 2015 may be eligible for disaster assistance.

Many of those with damage from the storms have already filed claims for damage through their insurance.  Recovery officials urge homeowners and renters to register for FEMA disaster assistance as well, even while waiting on an insurance settlement.

Once registered, applicants who expect their insurance policy to cover storm-related loss and damages are mailed a “Request for Information.” The letter details additional information to support the applicant’s need for federal disaster assistance. Applications are reviewed as part of the verification process by FEMA to avoid duplicating insurance payments.

“Don’t forget to call FEMA to update your application after you have settled with your insurance company,” said Casper. “Even if you are insured, your policy may not cover everything. Updating FEMA with insurance information could mean you are eligible for additional assistance funds.”

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov. Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.

The toll-free telephone numbers operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

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.

 

 

 

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FEMA Officials: Don’t Wait for Insurance Settlement to Seek Disaster Aid

Registering with State, Volunteer Agencies Not the Same as FEMA

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Many Arkansas residents who suffered damage during the severe storms in late spring may have registered for assistance with state or volunteer agencies. This is not the same as registering with FEMA for disaster aid.

While FEMA, the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management and volunteer agencies often work together, their missions, programs and funding are not the same. Residents should register with FEMA for access to federal disaster assistance.

FEMA is funded by congress and administers disaster programs determined by federal officials and requested by the state.  Disaster declarations by the State of Arkansas provide some assistance based on state criteria, but that aid is “turned off” when a federal declaration is made to avoid duplicating benefits.

Volunteer agencies that provide individuals and families with immediate necessities and emergency services raise their funds publicly and determine their own programs.

The disaster declaration on June 26, 2015 put in place several sources of federal funding. It is available to residents in nine Arkansas counties affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of May 7 to June 15, 2015. The counties are Crawford, Garland, Howard, Jefferson, Little River, Miller, Perry, Sebastian, and Sevier.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in those counties can apply for federal assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621- 3362 (FEMA) or by web-enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov.  Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice. Mulitilingual operators are available.

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.

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Registering with State, Volunteer Agencies Not the Same as FEMA

Brown County Approved for FEMA Public Assistance

AURORA, Ill. –  FEMA announced Friday that it has approved Governor Pat Quinn’s request to make public assistance available in Brown County to help cover the costs that county and local governments and certain non-profits face because of response and damages incurred in the storms and flooding of April 16 to May 5.

Brown County already was one of 33 counties designated for individual assistance to its residents for their damages. It becomes the 40th Illinois county eligible for public assistance, which is a cost-sharing program with FEMA providing 75 percent of eligible costs. State and local governments are responsible for the remainder.

Categories of eligible work that may be funded by FEMA are debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair or replacement of roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings and equipment, utilities, and parks and recreational facilities.

Counties now designated for public assistance are Adams, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Crawford, DuPage, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lawrence, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Mercer, Monroe, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Will and Woodford.

Counties designated for individual assistance are Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Clark, Cook, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Peoria, Pike, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago and Woodford. Individuals in these counties can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. People who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS) can call 800-621-3362. For more information visit the Illinois Disaster website www.fema.gov/disaster/4116.

Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

The deadline to register for FEMA disaster assistance is Tuesday, July 9.

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.

Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion5, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

Media Contact: 571-408-1835

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Brown County Approved for FEMA Public Assistance