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FEMA Teams in Neighborhoods Helping Mississippi Storm Survivors

OXFORD, Miss. – Disaster survivor assistance teams are working in storm-stricken neighborhoods helping Mississippians recover from the December storms.

The teams are made up of disaster specialists from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They are canvassing areas to give residents an opportunity to register for disaster assistance and to quickly address immediate and emerging needs. The teams can also provide application updates and referrals to additional resources when needs remain.

Using tablets, the FEMA teams can input a survivor’s information and submit a request for federal assistance. These mobile team members can be identified easily by their photo identifications and FEMA clothing. Mississippi residents are reminded to ask for federal identification before providing personal information.

Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the December storms in Benton, Coahoma, Marshall, Quitman and Tippah counties can register for federal assistance.

Federal disaster assistance for qualified applicants may include:

Grants to rent a new place to live temporarily as needed.
Grants for essential home repairs not covered by insurance.
Grants for serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance — such as medical, dental, transportation, funeral expenses, moving and storage fees, personal property loss and child care.
Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration to homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance.

In addition to the registration opportunity offered by recovery teams, survivors can register for assistance by the following methods:

Online using computers, iPhone and Android devices or tablets at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Calling 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585, Video Relay Service 800-621-3362).

Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week. Assistance is available in multiple languages.

Business owners can find an electronic loan application on the U.S. Small Business Administration’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Questions can be answered by calling the SBA disaster customer service center at 800-659-2955/ (TTY) 800-877-8339 or visiting www.sba.gov.

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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

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 receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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FEMA Teams in Neighborhoods Helping Mississippi Storm Survivors

Ten Years after Katrina, FEMA has Obligated Over $3.2 billion in Public Assistance

BILOXI, Miss. — More than $3.2 billion in FEMA funding has been allocated to Mississippi for Public Assistance after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA’s Public Assistance program includes grants for the repair and rebuilding of public infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, schools, hospitals and sewer treatment facilities. The PA program also provides funding for debris removal and emergency protective measures, such as search and rescue operations, temporary roads and overtime for other emergency workers, including police and firefighters.

Some of the PA projects in Mississippi included repairing and rebuilding the Biloxi Civic Center and Library; the Hancock County Courthouse and Medical Center; the Waveland City Hall and Municipal Complex; and St. Martin School in Jackson County. The famous Biloxi Lighthouse, which came to represent the resiliency of the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina, was also repaired with funding from FEMA’s PA program.

For more information on PA recovery projects in Mississippi, please go to FEMA’s Revitalizing Mississippi Communities.

The PA program normally reimburses local, state and tribal governments and qualified nonprofit organizations for a certain share of eligible costs. However, because of the magnitude of Katrina, FEMA covered 100 percent of allowable project expenses.

The largest PA project funded by FEMA in Mississippi after Katrina is the repair of a large section of Biloxi’s water and sewer treatment system. After Katrina, the system was out of operation for weeks. It was brought back into working condition with generators and temporary bypass pumps to transfer wastewater to treatment plants. City officials decided to use the $363 million in eligible FEMA repair and rebuilding grants toward the total cost of improving and upgrading the system. Repairs include consolidating and hardening the pump stations along the beachfront to withstand future storms.

Following is a breakdown of Public Assistance funding by sector.

Health Care: More than $50 million has been obligated to rebuild and improve hospitals and other health care facilities in disaster-affected areas. Over $40.6 million was used to restore parts of Hancock Medical Center in the town of Bay St. Louis which serves a population of approximately 44,000.

Education: More than $334 million has been allocated for K-12 public schools and universities. Some of these schools, such as the St. Martin school in Jackson County, combined the funding with other sources to build new state-of-the-art educational facilities and a public safe room to protect the community from future disasters.

Public Works/Utilities: Nearly $901.6 million has been obligated. This includes more than $363 million to repair and rebuild part of Biloxi’s sewer and water treatment system and nearly $99 million for the sewer and water treatment system in Gulfport. More than $36 million funded the repair of the wastewater treatment facility in Diamondhead.

Roads and Bridges: More than $84 million was allocated for repair and rebuilding.

Public Safety and Protection: Over $33 million has been obligated for the restoration of fire and police stations, courthouses and corrections facilities. Some public safety buildings, such as the Pass Christian police station, were rebuilt using FEMA 361 standards for public safe rooms to protect first responders in future disasters.

Historic Structures: Over $129 million was obligated for restoration of historic properties, such as the town of Waveland’s Civic Center, the Carnegie Library in Gulfport and the Old Brick House in Biloxi.

Debris Removal/Emergency Protective Measures: More than $1.15 billion was allocated to clear debris and reimburse overtime hours for emergency workers, including police and firefighters.

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Ten Years after Katrina, FEMA has Obligated Over $3.2 billion in Public Assistance

FEMA Helps Mississippi Preserve Important Architectural Properties

BILOXI, Miss. — As part of an innovative agreement between federal, state, local and tribal officials, 29 historic properties lost during Katrina have been commemorated with cast aluminum markers.

“We thought it especially important to have sketches of the destroyed buildings on the markers,” said Kenneth P’Pool, deputy state historic preservation officer of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “It gives people an appreciation of what was lost. Some of these illustrations are the last examples of architectural styles on the Coast.”

The wooden Church of the Redeemer was a prime example of the Carpenter Gothic style. The engraving of a bell tower in front of it depicts one from a newer church built in 1891. The bell tower was the only part of that structure to survive Hurricane Camille in 1969.

It is a challenge for communities to protect historic properties during and after a disaster. They need to protect the health and safety of citizens – for example, by removing large amounts of disaster debris in a timely manner – while preserving the integrity of a historic site.

The National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to consider the effects their projects may have on historic properties. The agencies must review background information and consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and other knowledgeable sources. In many cases, further surveys and studies are needed to make a final determination on how or if to proceed. The review process can take several weeks—even months, which may not be in the interest of public safety.

To expedite removal of massive amounts of debris after Hurricane Katrina for public health and safety, FEMA entered into an agreement with several agencies to streamline the process. Partners included the Mississippi State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO); Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI); Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

Using GPS data, FEMA’s Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation program surveyed historic districts, properties and archaeological sites in the lower Mississippi counties most affected by Katrina and created a database that will help emergency management officials in future disasters.

They also updated listings for the National Register of Historic Places, and found 58 archaeological sites that had not previously been identified.

“So much damage was done by Katrina that there was a great need to clean up the debris, but little time to enter into the proper consultation required by the National Historic Preservation Act,” said P’Pool.

“We now have a much better handle on the numbers, locations and types of historic properties and

where they’re distributed around the Gulf Coast. Having that knowledge provides us with an opportunity to make a much more rapid response in assessing damage to specific historic properties in the future.”

“It’s very rewarding to be part of an agreement that can be used as a model for other states,” said Cyril Baxter Mann, deputy environmental liaison officer for FEMA’s Historic Preservation program.

For its work after Katrina, FEMA received the Chairman’s Award for Federal Achievement from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, in coordination with SHPO and other partners, for its innovative effort in creating the digitized database of historic properties.

In addition, for the Katrina recovery, FEMA’s EHP program reviewed more than 17,000 recovery projects for potential environmental and historic preservation issues. It also reviewed more than 13,000 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program applications for placement of in-ground shelters.

For more information on this agreement and FEMA archaeological specialists at work: view this video.

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FEMA Helps Mississippi Preserve Important Architectural Properties

FEMA Honors Achievement in Community Preparedness

2014 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners Announced

WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the winners of the 2014 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards, recognizing the outstanding efforts of individuals, programs and organizations throughout the country working to prepare their communities for emergencies.

“Strong emergency management requires teamwork, community engagement, innovation and strong relationships at all levels before disasters occur,” FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. “This year, we recognize individuals and organizations that exemplify this approach, and I congratulate them on their dedication to make our nation stronger and safer.”

This year’s honorees developed and implemented innovative tools, programs and resources, which provided opportunities for a wide variety of stakeholders to make their communities better prepared and more resilient. Some examples include:

The Mississippi State University Extension Service launched the Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative (MyPI), a grassroots effort to train and educate approximately 3,500 teens annually about emergency preparedness. Participating youth also completed service projects to prepare families in their communities for disaster.
The Delaware State Citizen Corps Council, Partnerships in Assistive Technologies, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management supported the development of smartphone apps to enhance communications between professional responders and people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
The Smyrna Emergency Management Agency in Georgia became the nation’s first municipality to participate in America’s PrepareAthon!, conducting a community-wide tornado drill involving 200 businesses.
The New York City Office of Emergency Management’s Ready New York for Seniors Program conducted approximately 200 presentations to more than 8,000 older Americans living in the city.

This year’s winners of FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Awards are:

Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives: Delaware State Citizen Corps Council (DE)
Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives: MOCERT1 (Southwestern Missouri Regional CERT) (MO)
Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives: Albany County Citizen Corps (NY)
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness: The Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative (MyPI) (MS)
Community Preparedness Heroes: Lieutenant Brian K. Rand (MA) and the Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) (CO)
Awareness to Action: Do 1 Thing (MI)
Technological Innovation: Partnerships in Assistive Technologies (PATHs, Inc.) (WV)
Survivor Empowerment and Integration: Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management (MA)
Fourth Annual Recipients of the John D. Solomon Whole Community Preparedness Award: Smyrna Emergency Management Agency (GA) and New York City Office of Emergency Management: Ready New York for Seniors (NY)

FEMA received more than 230 applications for the Individual and Community Preparedness Awards from public, private, tribal and nonprofit organizations as well as from individuals. Leadership from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the American Red Cross, Target and FEMA selected winners from among applicants from 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The eleven recipients of FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Awards will be recognized at a ceremony being held during National Preparedness Month in Washington, D.C. During the ceremony, recipients will share their perspectives, insights, experiences, success stories and lessons learned with fellow emergency management leaders.

More information on this year’s award recipients, along with details on the honorable mentions, is available at www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards.

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FEMA Honors Achievement in Community Preparedness

Mississippi Storm Recovery on Target at Two Months

RIDGELAND, Miss. — After a disaster, it takes many partners working together to rebuild communities. Two months after tornadoes and storms swept across the state on April 28, public, private and nonprofit organizations have made significant progress in responding to the needs of communities created by the disaster.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individual Assistance section has reached out a second time to the more than 5,000 people who registered with FEMA for help. The outreach, dubbed “100 percent touch,” is making sure registrants understand the application process, submit timely documentation and works to find solutions to unmet needs.

To date, nearly $19 million in total federal assistance has been approved for Mississippi disaster survivors. This includes more than $5.3 million for temporary housing and home repairs and other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral costs. And the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved just over $13.6 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private nonprofit organizations.

During the 60-day registration period that ended June 30, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crews visited more than 12,000 homes and interacted with more than 9,000 disaster survivors, helping them register with FEMA and making referrals to other agencies and organizations for specific needs outside of FEMA.

More than 4,000 disaster survivors made one or more visits to the 10 disaster recovery centers established in the disaster areas. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency/FEMA centers in Brandon, Canton, Columbus, Laurel, Louisville, Mantachie, Tupelo and Waynesboro offered face-to-face contact with program representatives knowledgeable about disaster assistance and rebuilding.

FEMA mitigation representatives at the recovery centers and at home improvement stores in the disaster areas have met with more than 8,000 people, providing advice on how to rebuild stronger. Three teams will be at locations in or near the disaster area until mid-July.

MEMA and FEMA created a joint housing task force to address the complex housing needs of the 767 households left homeless in the aftermath of the tornadoes. Survivors have received rental assistance grants and FEMA’s direct housing mission has completed placement of nearly two dozen manufactured homes for the residents of Winston County. Temporary housing is installed in commercial parks for survivor use or on an individual homeowner’s property for use while the primary residence is being repaired or rebuilt.

Projects to repair public infrastructure damaged in the storm are being developed. FEMA reimburses 75 percent of eligible disaster-related repairs through its Public Assistance program administered by the state. At the June 30 deadline for receipt of the official notice to FEMA requesting participation, 53 eligible governments and certain private nonprofits such as utilities had signed up for the program. Applicants will work with MEMA and FEMA to be reimbursed for emergency protective measures, debris removal and permanent work such as road and building repairs.

Among the applicants are the City of Louisville, which seeks to rebuild a building leased to a wood products company and the Winston County Medical Foundation, which lost its Winston Medical Center, nursing home and outpatient clinic to the EF-4 tornado that struck the area. The hospital is operating temporarily out of the National Mobile Disaster Hospital, a FEMA-owned facility composed of 27 modular units that arrived in Louisville May 3.

Through its virtual Business Emergency Operations Center, MEMA is working with employers to stabilize jobs affected in the tornado; partners in recovery have donated equipment and materials for the volunteers to use in cleanup and rebuilding.

When the disaster struck April 28, the American Red Cross opened shelters that eventually provided 678 overnight stays and more than 47,000 meals or snacks. The Salvation Army opened eight mobile kitchens and three fixed feeding sites, serving more than 17,500 meals or snacks. Since then, many other volunteers have stepped up both from the local area and outside the region to clean up debris and begin rebuilding.

MEMA and FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaisons have helped connect unaffiliated spontaneous volunteers with affiliated groups and identify and organize groups that are not part of the Mississippi Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. VALs have also assisted in making referrals to appropriate agencies and helped establish the NE Mississippi Community Based Recovery Committee to address unmet needs of survivors in Lee and Itawamba counties.

Disaster survivors in Itawamba, Jones, Leake, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, Wayne and Winston counties who registered for assistance may check the status of their applications, update contact information or ask questions via the FEMA helpline, 800-621-3362. The TTY number for those who are deaf or hard of hearing is 800-462-7585.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to FEMA.gov/Disaster/4175. Visit the MEMA site at msema.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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). 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 receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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Mississippi Storm Recovery on Target at Two Months

Disaster Assistance Helpline Available After Close of Registration

JACKSON, Miss. – The deadline to register for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance in Mississippi has closed; however, applicants who have registered may still call the FEMA helpline to check on the status of their application, appeal a decision, update contact information, or ask questions about the process. Call 800-621-3362. Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability can call TTY 800-462-7585. Helpline hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Applicants who registered but who discover that their insurance has not covered all losses have up to a year to submit additional documentation to FEMA. FEMA help may be available for essential items such as septic tanks, which many homeowner insurance policies don’t cover.

Applicants receiving temporary rental assistance will need to update their permanent housing plan and may need to document the need for continuing rental assistance. FEMA expects all families who receive temporary rental assistance to return to their damaged home when it is repaired or to locate and occupy affordable housing without FEMA rental assistance when possible to do so.

Survivors should not hesitate to contact the FEMA Help Line 800-621-3362 (TTY 462-7585) with any questions or concerns regarding disaster assistance from FEMA. Questions about the U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans should be directed to SBA at 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339, or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4175. Visit the MEMA site at msema.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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). 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.

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Disaster Assistance Helpline Available After Close of Registration

FEMA Rebuilding Specialists to Provide Advice in Tupelo-Saltillo Area

JACKSON, Miss. – Rebuilding or repairing property damaged from the recent severe storms? Residents in the Tupelo-Saltillo area can get advice on building safer and smarter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Mitigation specialists from FEMA will be at Home Depot in Saltillo to offer information on rebuilding after a disaster. The advisors can answer questions about protecting homes from future disaster-related damage and offer tips to build hazard-resistant homes.

FEMA officials estimate that every dollar spent on mitigation saves almost four dollars if another disaster hits.

Homeowners and contractors can learn more at:

Home Depot

1074 Cross Creek Dr.

Saltillo, Miss. 38866

8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tues., July 1 – Thurs., July 3 and Sat., July 5

The specialists will not be at the store on Friday, July 4.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to FEMA.gov/Disaster/4175. Visit the MEMA site at msema.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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FEMA Rebuilding Specialists to Provide Advice in Tupelo-Saltillo Area

FEMA, SBA Deadline is Tomorrow for Mississippi Disaster Survivors

Jackson, Miss. – Tomorrow, June 30, 2014, is the last day for Mississippians to register for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tomorrow is also the deadline to submit an application for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

People who sustained damage in Itawamba, Jones, Leake, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, Wayne and Winston counties as a result of the tornadoes, severe storms and flooding that occurred from April 28 through May 3, 2014, may be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.

Assistance for homeowners and renters may include money to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs.

Low-interest disaster loans from SBA may be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance. Filling out the SBA loan application is an important step toward recovery. No one has to accept a disaster loan, but completing and returning the application may open the door to other forms of assistance, such as additional FEMA grants. Today, June 30, 2014, is the deadline to submit a completed loan application to SBA.

Survivors can register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Central Time). Multilingual operators are available.

For additional information about SBA low-interest disaster loans, contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339, emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or visiting sba.gov/disaster.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4175. Visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency website at msema.org or the Facebook page at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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 receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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FEMA, SBA Deadline is Tomorrow for Mississippi Disaster Survivors

FEMA Registration Deadline Monday; Nearly $17.7 Million Approved So Far

JACKSON, Miss. – Monday, June 30, 2014, is the deadline to register for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration. As the deadline approaches, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, FEMA and SBA announce that nearly $17.7 million in federal assistance has been approved for residents in 12 Mississippi counties.

Here is a summary through Thursday, June 26, of all federal assistance to individuals and households in the 12 counties designated for FEMA Individual Assistance. The severe storms, tornadoes and flooding occurred from April 28 through May 3, 2014.

Nearly $17.7 million in total federal disaster assistance has been approved by FEMA and SBA.
Of that, nearly $12.5 million in low-interest disaster loans has been approved by SBA for 197 homeowners, renters and businesses.
Almost $5.2 million in FEMA Individual Assistance grants has been approved to help Mississippi disaster survivors recover, including:
- More than $3.8 million approved for housing grants, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs.
- Nearly $1.4 million approved to help cover other essential disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses and household possessions. Included is approval of assistance with funeral expenses for 12 disaster-related deaths.
More than 5,200 people have contacted FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance.
- In addition to FEMA grants for individuals and families, other forms of disaster assistance are provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration and other partner agencies such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. FEMA refers some survivors to those agencies.
- All businesses that contact FEMA also are referred to the SBA.

More than 2,800 home inspections have been completed.
More than 4,700 visits to disaster recovery centers by people affected by the disaster.
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance crews have visited 12,207 dwellings and assisted 9,298 survivors.
Almost 7,000 people have received advice from mitigation specialists on rebuilding safer and stronger.

Disaster survivors in Itawamba, Jones, Leake, Lee, Lowndes, Madison, Montgomery, Rankin, Simpson, Warren, Wayne and Winston counties may be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.

Individuals and households in those counties can register for FEMA Individual Assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov, via smartphone or tablet at m.FEMA.gov or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-FEMA (3362). People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY should call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (central time) and assistance is available in multiple languages.

FEMA assistance does not affect benefits from other federal programs such as Social Security, SNAP or Medicaid and is not considered taxable income.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4175. Visit the MEMA site at msema.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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). 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 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.

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FEMA Registration Deadline Monday; Nearly $17.7 Million Approved So Far

Don’t Wait Until it’s too Late: Have a Back-up Plan and Register by June 30

JACKSON, Miss. – If you sustained damage from the April 28 through May 3 severe storms, tornadoes and flooding, your insurance settlement may not cover all of your expenses. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration encourage you to register for disaster assistance by Monday, June 30, 2014, as it may help cover unexpected disaster expenses that arise later.

Your insurance settlement is delayed, but you need to relocate because your home is uninhabitable.
Damage in your home is not revealed until contractors are able to conduct a more comprehensive inspection of your home’s structure.
You exhaust the additional living expenses provided by your insurance company and still need help with your disaster-related temporary housing.

Not registering with FEMA may disqualify you for assistance that could help with unexpected expenses. You have until Monday, June 30, 2014, to register. Take a few minutes now to give yourself peace of mind in the future. You can register any of three ways: online at DisasterAssistance.gov, on a mobile device at m.fema.gov, or by phone at 800-621-FEMA (3362.) People who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585.

If you have registered with FEMA and were referred to SBA’s disaster loan program, it’s wise to follow through and keep your options open by submitting the application before June 30.

Some of the top reasons for submitting an SBA application by the deadline include:

A future insurance settlement may fall short. You may find you are underinsured for the amount of work it takes to repair or replace your damaged home. An SBA low-interest loan can cover the uninsured costs. By submitting the loan application on time, you may have loan money available when it is needed. SBA can approve a loan for the repair or replacement of a home up to $200,000. The loan balance may be reduced by your insurance settlement. However, the opportunity for an SBA disaster loan may be lost if you wait until after the June 30 application deadline.

SBA can help renters repair or replace disaster damaged personal property. Homeowners and renters may borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace clothing, furniture, appliances and damaged vehicles.

By submitting an SBA loan application, you keep the full range of disaster assistance available as an option. If you do not qualify for a loan, SBA may refer you back to FEMA for grants to replace essential household items, replace or repair a damaged vehicle, or cover storage expenses, among other serious disaster-related needs. But if you do not submit your disaster loan application, the assistance process may stop. You are not required to accept a loan if one is offered.

Complete the SBA disaster loan application online at https://DisasterLoan.SBA.gov/ELA. For additional information about SBA low-interest disaster loans, contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339 or by emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. For more information on SBA disaster loans, go to sba.gov/disaster.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, click fema.gov/disaster/4175. Visit the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency website at msema.org or the Facebook page at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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Don’t Wait Until it’s too Late: Have a Back-up Plan and Register by June 30

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