Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Faulkner, Lee and Sevier Counties

NORTH LITTLE ROCK – Joint federal/state disaster recovery centers are opening Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016 in Faulkner, Lee and Sevier counties to help those whose homes or businesses were affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding Dec. 26, 2015 – Jan. 22, 2016.

Representatives from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies will be at the centers to explain disaster assistance programs and help survivors apply for aid. Those visiting the centers can talk to experts on ways to prevent future disaster damage and take home free publications on mitigation topics.

The centers are located:

Faulkner County
Howard Johnson – Conference Room
1090 Skyline Drive
Conway, AR 72032

Lee County
Community Center
593 Hwy. 243
Marinanna, AR 72360

Sevier County
County Courthouse
115 N. 3rd St.
DeQueen, AR 71832

Hours at the centers are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays until further notice.

Those seeking disaster assistance should register with FEMA before going to a recovery center. To do so:

  • Call 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.
  • Go to www.disasterassistance.gov.

The toll free lines operate from 7 a.m.to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

Each disaster recovery center has assistive technologies for people with disabilities. ASL interpreters are available at the DRCs by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Disaster aid for individuals and families can include money for rental assistance, essential home repairs, personal property loss and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to help with residential and business losses not covered by insurance. The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. Applying for these loans is also a way to qualify for other avenues of assistance.

For more information on SBA programs, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.

Federal disaster assistance is available to eligible residents of Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Faulkner, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Little River, Perry, Sebastian and Sevier counties. Residents of those counties may visit any DRC.

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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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Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Faulkner, Lee and Sevier Counties

Being Prepared for Disasters Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

Here in Alabama, residents are no strangers to natural disasters.  Civic histories of many cities and towns throughout the state include references to natural disasters such as fires, tornadoes and hurricanes.

Alabamians know they must be prepared.  Every home should have a smoke alarm; every home should have an emergency supply kit packed and ready.

What not everyone realizes, however, is that being prepared doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster preparedness website, www.ready.gov is a destination site for information about getting your family prepared for a disaster.

“FEMA urges residents of every community in every state to Be Informed, Have a Plan and Prepare a Kit,” said Albie Lewis, federal coordinating officer for the Alabama recovery. “Each of these may be critical in a family’s ability to recover from disaster.  A family preparedness kit, particularly, is one of the most important tools at your disposal to keep your family safe in a disaster.”

Commercially available disaster kits can range from $75 to $300 and up, but most of the pieces of a disaster kit already may be in the home and just need to be gathered together and stored in one place.

“The rule of thumb for residents who are survivors of a disaster is that they should be prepared to take care of their family’s needs for the first 72 hours after a disaster strikes,” says Art Faulkner, director of Alabama’s Emergency Management Agency.  “It may take that long for responders to get to you.”

FEMA recommends that an emergency preparedness kit include food and water for each member of the family for three days, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight, spare batteries, first aid kit, non-electric can opener, local maps and personal sanitation items such as hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, toilet paper, garbage bags and plastic ties.

Water supplies should be sufficient to meet both health and sanitation needs.

Family emergency kits also should include important family documents such as wills or property deeds, personal identification and any prescription medicines a family member may be taking.

Other items to consider include sleeping bags or blankets, paper towels, books, puzzles and games for children, pet food and medications for family pets.

It’s helpful to have cash in case banks are closed and there is no power for ATMs.

The emergency supplies can be stored in an easy-to-carry plastic storage container or duffel bag, making them easy to grab and go when an emergency forces people to leave their home.

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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.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for childcare, medical, dental expenses and/or funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, those who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, transportation, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.  For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA  or www.twitter.com/femaregion4

 

 

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Being Prepared for Disasters Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

Not enough insurance? FEMA may be able to help

Little Rock, Ark. – As residents rebuild their lives and their homes, representatives of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are encouraging all people in Faulkner, Pulaski, Randolph and White counties who suffered damages as a result of the tornadoes and severe storms to file with their insurance companies and to register with FEMA.

“Disaster survivors should always file a claim with their insurance company first,” said State Coordinating Officer David Maxwell of ADEM. “But they should also register with FEMA because sometimes FEMA’s Individual Assistance covers damages that insurance does not.”

“You may be uninsured or under-insured for certain expenses or losses,” said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Timothy J. Scranton. “By law, we can’t pay for damages that are covered by insurance, but there may be other ways we can help you.”

One month after the tornadoes tore through central Arkansas on April 27, more than 1,300 residents of Faulkner, Pulaski, Randolph and White counties have applied for Individual Assistance.  

If any of the following situations occurs after you file an insurance claim, FEMA may be able to provide some assistance:

  • Your insurance settlement is delayed. Delayed means a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30 days from the time you filed the claim. If a decision on your insurance settlement has been delayed, write a letter to FEMA explaining the circumstance. You should include documentation from the insurance company proving that you filed the claim. If you filed your claim over the telephone, you should include the claim number, date you applied, and an estimate of how long it will take to receive your settlement. Any help awarded to you by FEMA would be considered an advance and would have to be repaid to FEMA once an insurance settlement is received.
  • Your insurance settlement is insufficient to meet your disaster-related needs. If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance and still have an unmet disaster-related need, write a letter to FEMA indicating the nature of the need and including documentation from your insurance company for review.
  • You have exhausted the Additional Living Expenses (ALE) provided by your insurance company. If you have received the maximum settlement from your insurance for Additional Living Expenses (Loss of Use) and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing needs, write a letter to FEMA indicating why you continue to have a temporary housing need. You will also need to provide documentation to prove use of ALE from insurance, and a permanent housing plan.

Contact FEMA at this address with additional information:

FEMA
National Processing Service Center
PO Box 10055
Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
FAX 1-800-827-8112

Many people who apply for FEMA disaster aid also receive an application for a low-interest disaster assistance loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help homeowners, renters and businesses repair or replace damaged property. If you receive an application, be sure to fill it out and return it in order to be considered for all forms of disaster assistance.

The deadline to register for FEMA Individual Assistance is June 30, 2014.

Tornado survivors can register by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual registration assistance is available at both numbers. Survivors may also apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.  By smartphone or tablet, use m.fema.gov.

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 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.

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Not enough insurance? FEMA may be able to help

FEMA and State Disaster Specialists Canvassing Neighborhoods in Faulkner County, Arkansas

Little Rock, Ark.– Specialists from the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are canvassing neighborhoods in hard-hit Faulkner County to help survivors register for disaster assistance.  

In addition to Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams (DSAT) going door to door, Mobile Registration Intake Centers (MRICs) are also set up in Vilonia and Mayflower, Arkansas to provide immediate registration assistance and answer questions residents may have concerning available FEMA assistance.

“Our priority is getting citizens’ immediate help,” said David Maxwell, Director of the Arkansas Department of Emergency. “Going directly to them in their communities allows us to expedite the disaster registration process.”

All FEMA and state team members in the field carry photo IDs and wear shirts bearing their agency’s logo.

“We continue to encourage survivors in Faulkner County to register for disaster assistance, said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) Timothy J. Scranton. “These are difficult times for Arkansans and going to them directly to help with registration is one way we can speed up their recovery.” 

DSAT teams are visiting homes, businesses and churches to educate residents about state and federal assistance programs and to answer any questions specific to the registration process.

Homeowners, renters and businesses owners in Faulkner County can 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. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Visiting a MRIC is not required to be considered for disaster assistance. It is just a convenient way to begin the application process.

The DSAT teams will continue to canvas neighborhoods as long as needed.

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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.

The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) is the state’s homeland security and preparedness agency. The agency works to identify and lessen the effects of emergencies, disasters and threats to Arkansas by developing effective prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery actions for all disasters and emergencies.  For additional information, contact ADEM at (501) 683-6700 or visit the website at www.adem.arkansas.gov.

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 us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

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).

Originally posted here – 

FEMA and State Disaster Specialists Canvassing Neighborhoods in Faulkner County, Arkansas