Disaster Survivors Can Get Free Legal Help

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016) — A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available to South Carolinians affected by Hurricane Matthew. The service allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer to aid in flood-related matters.

Disaster survivors who face legal issues and are unable to afford a lawyer may call 877-797- 2227 ext. 120 (toll-free) or 803-576-3815 (local) between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, to request assistance.

When connected to the hotline recording, callers should identify that they are seeking disaster- related legal assistance; briefly describe the problem they have, and the county in which they live. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with South Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal assistance.

Flood survivors may also request assistance by e-mailing a description of their problem to:

admin@scdisasterrelief.com.

The service is provided by a partnership of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the South Carolina Bar, the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division and South Carolina Legal Services.

Counseling and assistance cover a wide range of topics, including:

  • Life, medical and property insurance claims
  • Home repair contracts and contractors
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
  • Consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures
  • Mortgage-foreclosure problems
  • Landlord-tenant issues

Flood survivors in Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillion, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Sumter and Williamsburg counties are eligible to use the disaster relief legal assistance program.

Callers should be aware that there are limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by a court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service.

People in other counties who need legal help may contact South Carolina Legal Services at 888-346-5592.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. 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 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  https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term 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. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, 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.

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Disaster Survivors Can Get Free Legal Help

Non U.S. Citizens May Be Eligible To Receive Disaster Assistance

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Monday, Oct. 31) – South Carolina residents who are not U.S. citizens may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recover from Hurricane Matthew storm and flood damage.

The aid is available to citizens, non-citizen nationals, and qualified aliens. Qualified aliens include those with legal permanent residence (Green Card holders). Their status will not be jeopardized by requesting disaster assistance.

A non-citizen parent or guardian who isn’t eligible may register for assistance on behalf of a U.S. born child under age 18, including a new-born, who is a citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien. No information will be gathered on the parent or guardian’s status.

When registering for disaster assistance, FEMA requires applicants to certify whether they are citizens, non-citizen nationals or qualified aliens.

The status of a qualified alien includes:

  • Legal permanent residents (those with Green Cards);
  • Those with refugee or asylum status;
  • Those whose deportation has been withheld;
  • Those on parole into the U.S. for at least one year for humanitarian purposes;
  • Those with conditional entry;
  • Those who are Cuban-Haitian entrants; and
  • Those with petitions for relief based on battery or extreme cruelty by a family member.

FEMA conducts random audits of applications to verify U.S. citizenship and qualified alien documentation issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. However, assistance can be given as long as someone in the household is entitled to it, and no information will be gathered regarding the status of others in the household.

Undocumented immigrants from a household with no one eligible for cash assistance from FEMA may still be eligible for programs run by state, local or voluntary agencies.

Assistance for eligible individuals and small businesses includes funds for temporary housing and necessary home repairs, individual and household grants, disaster unemployment assistance, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration and other programs.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

You can  receive weather alerts, safety tips and learn about disaster resources by downloading the free FEMA App, available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices. Visit fema.gov/mobile-app for more information.

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 https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term 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. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, 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.

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Non U.S. Citizens May Be Eligible To Receive Disaster Assistance

Free Legal Assistance for Survivors Affected by Florida Hurricanes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Free legal assistance is available to eligible low-income survivors in the 17 counties affected by hurricanes Hermine and Matthew: Brevard, Citrus, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Leon, Levy, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns and Volusia.

This service is a partnership among The Florida Bar, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division, and FEMA. Examples of the legal assistance available include:

  • Assistance with securing FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors;

  • Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims;

  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors;

  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster;

  • Assistance with consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures;

  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems;

  • Counseling on landlord/tenant problems.

Survivors may call the legal assistance hotline at 866-550-2929, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Those who qualify for assistance will be matched with Florida lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Although consultations with attorneys are confidential, survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid as part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are passed to a lawyer referral service.

Other entities providing free legal aid are:

  • National Disaster Legal Aid Online (disasterlegalaid.org);

  • Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. (800-405-1417);

  • Three Rivers Legal Services, Inc. (1-866-256-8091).

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery visit fema.gov/disaster/4280, fema.gov/disaster/4283, twitter.com/femaregion4, facebook.com/FEMA, and fema.gov/blog, floridadisaster.org or #FLRecovers. For imagery, video, graphics and releases, see fema.gov/Hurricane-Matthew.

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Free Legal Assistance for Survivors Affected by Florida Hurricanes

Debris Removal Continues; Now More than 50 Percent Complete

BATON ROUGE, La. – Recovery officials estimate that recent flooding left 4.8 million cubic yards or 80,000 truckloads of debris in its wake. Removal of that debris is an important sign of progress in disaster recovery, but it takes time. On Sept. 25, debris removal hit the 55-percent completion mark.

For the August flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program will reimburse eligible Louisiana jurisdictions 90 percent of reasonable costs involved in debris removal. To receive reimbursement for debris removal, a local jurisdiction must be eligible for the program and have the legal authority to remove debris from public rights-of-way.

Reasonable costs include overtime for full-time employees as well as contractor fees for removal, disposal, recycling and/or monitoring. (The contract must have been competitively bid and comply with state, federal and local standards.)

In general, private property debris removal is not eligible for FEMA reimbursement under the law. However, because of the large amount of debris, the threat it posed to human health and safety, and the lack of right-of-way to deposit debris FEMA has expanded curbside debris removal for the recent Louisiana flooding. Property owners who have questions should contact their local emergency manager. Before anyone can go onto private property, the local jurisdiction must have a sworn statement of permission from the property owner to remove debris.

Recovery officials encourage people to continue sorting debris into categories and moving it to the curbside. The categories are household garbage; construction debris; vegetative debris; household hazardous waste; white goods (i.e., washing machines, refrigerators, etc.); and electronics.

Separating debris will speed recovery. However, recovery officials want to remind everyone to be safe, especially during ongoing debris removal operations. The sight of heavy trucks hauling debris may seem familiar, but it is vital to follow safety guidelines at all times around debris and heavy equipment.

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Debris Removal Continues; Now More than 50 Percent Complete

Free disaster legal services available

Charleston, W.Va. — If you were affected during the June storms and have questions about legal issues such as repair contracts, working with contractors, replacing wills and other legal documents, you might be eligible to get free legal counseling from a group of West Virginia lawyers who have volunteered limited legal help.

Disaster legal Services provides legal assistance to low-income individuals who, prior to or because of the disaster, have little recourse to legal services as a consequence of a major disaster.

A partnership among the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the West Virginia State Bar, and Legal Aid of West Virginia provides eligible callers 24/7 access to a toll free legal hotline, 877-331-4259. Callers may leave a message and will be matched with a local attorney.

Local legal aid providers might help you with:

  • Assistance with FEMA and other government benefits available
  • Assistance with life, medical, and property insurance claims
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster
  • Consumer protection issues such as price-gouging and avoiding contractor scams in the rebuilding process
  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
  • Counseling on landlord-tenant problems

There are some limitations on disaster legal services. For instance, if a case might produce a fee, or where attorneys are paid as part of a court settlement, you’ll be referred to a local lawyer.

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Free disaster legal services available

Free Legal Help Available to Low-Income Texans Affected by April Floods

AUSTIN, Texas – Disaster often invites chaos, which can result in disagreement: tenants and landlords bicker over re-entry to damaged apartments, homeowners and contractors argue over billing for unfinished or subpar repairs.

“These are just some of the difficulties that Texas survivors may be facing after the recent flooding that may require legal assistance,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin Hannes, who is in charge of FEMA’s operations in Texas. “For those who can’t afford it, help is available.”

The State Bar of Texas, American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, FEMA and   other organizations have partnered to help provide assistance to affected individuals and families in the 12 counties designated by the April disaster: Austin, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Parker, San Jacinto, Waller and Wharton. The free service is offered to survivors who need legal assistance dealing with issues related to the storms and flooding and have no means to hire a lawyer.

A toll-free legal hotline (800-504-7030) is open to connect low-income individuals affected by the disaster with local legal aid providers who can help with: 

  • assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims;

  • counseling on landlord-tenant problems;

  • assistance securing FEMA and other government benefits available to disaster survivors;

  • help with home repair contracts and contractors;

  • replacement of wills and other important documents lost or destroyed in the disaster

  • consumer protection issues such as price gouging and avoiding contractor scams in rebuliding process and

  • counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems.

The hotline is available around the clock, seven days a week, and callers are also invited to leave a message. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with Texas lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Communications with an attorney are confidential.

Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service.

Other legal organizations assisting with disaster relief efforts include the Houston Bar Association (hba.org), Lone Star Legal Aid (lonestarlegal.org), the Texas Consumer Complaint Center at the University of Houston Law Center (texasccc.com, or 877-839-8422) and the American Red Cross (877-500-8645). National Disaster Legal Aid Online, or NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association (abanet.org/disaster), the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

Texans can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362 (FEMA). Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

For more information on the Texas recovery, visit the disaster webpage for the April storms at fema.gov/disaster/4269; or visit the Texas Division of Emergency Management website at txdps.state.tx.us/dem. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion6.

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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.

 

Original article – 

Free Legal Help Available to Low-Income Texans Affected by April Floods

Free Legal Advice for Missouri Disaster Survivors

Hotline: 800-829-4128

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri residents who find themselves in need of legal advice as a result of the recent storms and floods can get free help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its partners.

FEMA’s Disaster Legal Services (DLS) program provides free legal assistance to low-income individuals who, prior to or because of the disaster, are unable to secure legal services adequate to meet their disaster-related needs. DLS is provided only to survivors of presidentially declared major disasters and is limited to cases that will not produce a fee.

The toll free number for DLS in Missouri is 800-829-4128. Local legal aid providers and pro bono attorneys are available to assist with almost any legal issue that arises from a presidentially declared major disaster including help with the following types of disaster legal assistance:

  • Help with disaster-related health, property, life insurance claims, etc.
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents lost or destroyed in the disaster
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors
  • Advice on problems with landlords
  • Counseling on mortgage and foreclosure problems
  • Consumer protections for issues like price gouging and avoiding contractor scams in the rebuilding process
  • Assistance securing FEMA benefit claims
  • Employment law
  • Civil Rights

The program is a joint venture with the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Missouri Bar, as well as Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Legal Services of Southern Missouri and Mid-Missouri Legal Services, and National Disaster Legal Aid Online.

The DLS program is for survivors in the 33 Missouri counties designated for federal disaster assistance to individuals: Barry, Barton, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Cole, Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Jefferson, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Maries, McDonald, Morgan, Newton, Osage, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Scott, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Taney, Texas, Webster, and Wright. 

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For breaking news about flood recovery, follow FEMA Region 7 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion7 and turn on mobile notifications or visit the FEMA web pages dedicated to this disaster at www.fema.gov/disaster/4250.

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.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term 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. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, 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.

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Free Legal Advice for Missouri Disaster Survivors

Help Us Help You: Stay in Touch With FEMA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continue working together to help survivors of the Butte and Valley wildfires. More and more survivors continue to find temporary housing accommodation; as they do, they should continue to stay in touch with FEMA.

FEMA’s Individual and Households Program – which includes rental assistance and Manufactured Housing Units – is intended as a temporary solution to help bridge the gap for survivors until they can find a permanent housing solution.

Wildfire survivors and their families eligible for and living in temporary housing as of Dec. 28, 2015:

  • 838 households are receiving rental assistance.
  • 31 households have received Manufactured Housing Units.

Additionally, 521 households have been able to remain in their homes thanks to financial assistance that pays for home repairs or to replace necessary household items so they can remain safely at home.

There are 37 households using the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which offers temporary sheltering at hotels and motels for eligible applicants until they secure alternative housing accommodations.

 As a reminder, survivors who registered for housing and other federal assistance should keep in touch with FEMA and keep their contact information current, especially if they have changed their phone number, email address or mailing address.

FEMA may need to contact survivors for a number of reasons and without current contact information, the agency will not be able to reach them. After several attempts, cases are put on hold until the survivor contacts the agency.

Applicants can track their case status and should notify FEMA if they receive insurance settlements or discover additional damage.

How to stay in touch with FEMA:

  • Go to www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
  • Dial the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585.
  • For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay services, call 800-621-3362.
  • These toll-free numbers are operated from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.
  • Multilingual phone operators are available on the FEMA Helpline. Choose Option 2 for Spanish and Option 3 for other languages.

In addition to temporary housing programs, these services remain available to survivors:

  • Crisis Counseling services provided through the Calaveras and Lake County Mental Health Departments. Crisis Counseling is designed to help both children and adults cope with the emotional stress associated with a disaster. 
    • Call the Calaveras County Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 800-499-3030 (the main office number is 209-754-6525).
    • Reach the Lake County Mental Health Crisis Hotline by calling 800-900-2075.
  • Disaster Legal Services (DLS) are provided to survivors free-of-charge through the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. Legal advice is limited to cases that will not produce a fee. Services include assistance with insurance claims, advice on landlord/tenant disputes, home repair contracts and contractors, mortgage-foreclosure issues, assisting in consumer protection matters, guidance on replacement of wills and other important legal documents. Disaster Legal Services can be reached at 800-657-0479 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday through Friday. For TTY, dial 711.

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: Cal OES and http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4240. Follow us on Twitter @femaregion9 and @Cal_OES and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FEMA and https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaOES.

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 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.

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Help Us Help You: Stay in Touch With FEMA

Survivors Urged to Stay in Touch with FEMA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The deadline for Calaveras and Lake county wildfire survivors to register with FEMA has passed, but various forms of disaster assistance remain available. Survivors who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency are urged to stay in touch with the agency.

“Even though the DRCs are closed, FEMA remains in California to work with the state and local governments to provide assistance with recovery,” said Tim Scranton, Federal Coordinating Official for this disaster. “FEMA will remain as long as needed.”

Charles Rabamad, the Deputy State Coordinating Officer added: “Recovery is ongoing, all this work could not be done without our federal, state and local partnerships. Cal OES continues to support and assist these communities in the rebuilding and redeveloping efforts.”

Applicants can track their claims and should notify FEMA of changes to their mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and if they receive insurance settlements or discover additional damages.

How to reach FEMA:

  • Go online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or www.fema.gov
  • Dial the FEMA Helpline 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585
  • For those who use 711 Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362
  • The toll-free numbers are operated from 6 a.m. to midnight daily

Survivors Advised to Stay in Touch with FEMA

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

Although the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) are closed, the U.S. Small Business Administration will operate Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) at the DRC sites in San Andreas and Middletown. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

At the DLOCs disaster loan applications, started before Nov. 23, can be finalized. The two facilities will remain open until further notice.

For more information, contact the 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 or hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339. DLOCs will be closed from Thanksgiving Day through the weekend, reopening Monday, Nov. 30.

Other services available to survivors include:

  • Crisis Counseling is a service provided through your county Mental Health Department. Services, for children and adults, help survivors deal with the emotional affects of going through a crisis. Call the Calaveras County Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 800-499-3030 (main office number 209-754-6525). The Lake County Mental Health Crisis Hotline is 800-900-2075.
  • Legal Services is provided to survivors for free through the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. Legal advice is limited to cases that will not produce a fee including assistance with insurance claims, advice on landlord/tenant problems, home repair contracts and contractors, mortgage-foreclosure problems, assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures and replacement of wills and other important

legal documents. Survivors unable to pay for legal services may call 800-657-0479 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. For TTY: call 711.

For more information on California’s wildfire recovery, visit: caloes.ca.gov or fema.gov/disaster/4240 and follow us on Twitter @femaregion9 and @Cal_OES and on Facebook at facebook.com/FEMA and facebook.com/CaliforniaOES.

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

Survivors Urged to Stay in Touch with FEMA

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 are referred to SBA for a disaster loan must apply to be eligible for additional FEMA assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term 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. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

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Survivors Urged to Stay in Touch with FEMA

State, Federal Disaster Assistance Still Available to All Eligible Oklahomans

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans, including those who are not U.S. citizens, may be eligible through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance if affected by the recent tornadoes, severe storms and flooding.

Disaster assistance is available to homeowners, renters and businesses impacted by the May 5 through June 4 storms in Atoka, Beckham, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Choctaw, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Grady, Johnston, Kiowa, Le Flore, Marshall, McClain, McCurtain, McIntosh, Oklahoma, Pittsburg, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Seminole, Tillman and Wagoner counties.

The aid is available to citizens, non-citizen nationals, and qualified aliens. Qualified aliens include those with legal permanent residence (shown by Green Cards). Their status will not be jeopardized by requesting disaster assistance.

A parent or guardian who isn’t eligible may register for assistance on behalf of a child under age 18 who is a citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien. No information will be gathered on the adult’s status.

When registering for disaster assistance, FEMA requires applicants to certify whether they are citizens, non-citizen nationals or qualified aliens.

The status of a qualified alien includes:

  • Legal permanent residents (those with Green Cards);
  • Those with refugee or asylum status;
  • Those whose deportation has been withheld;
  • Those on parole into the U.S. for at least one year for humanitarian purposes;
  • Those with conditional entry;
  • Those who are Cuban-Haitian entrants; and
  • Those with petitions for relief based on battery or extreme cruelty by a family member.

FEMA conducts random audits of applications to verify U.S. citizenship and qualified alien documentation issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. However, assistance can be given as long as someone in the household is entitled to it, and no information will be gathered regarding the status of others in the household.

Undocumented immigrants from a household with no one eligible for cash assistance from FEMA may still be eligible for programs run by state, local or volunteer agencies.

Assistance for eligible individuals and small businesses includes funds for temporary housing and necessary home repairs, individual and household grants, disaster unemployment assistance, low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration and other programs.

Residents living within the designated counties with damage from the disaster can register by calling the FEMA Helpline line at 800-621-3362. The Helpline is open from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week. Multilingual assistance is available.

For those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability, use the TTY number at 800-462-7585. Applicants can also register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or with any web-enabled mobile device or smartphone at m.fema.gov. Follow the link to “apply online for federal assistance.”

Multilingual assistance is available at each of the Disaster Recovery Centers. DRCs are one-stop shops where survivors can get information and guidance on the disaster assistance that may be available. To find the recovery center near you visit http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm, or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

For more information on Oklahoma disaster recovery, click http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4222 or visit OEM at www.oem.ok.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.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against emergencies and disasters. The department delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through a network of more than 350 local emergency managers.

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.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term 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. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, 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.

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State, Federal Disaster Assistance Still Available to All Eligible Oklahomans

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