Even if you have insurance—register for disaster assistance

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. —Even if you have homeowners’, renters’ or flood insurance, you are urged to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Registering with FEMA is a primary step in qualifying for disaster assistance after contacting your insurance agent to see if disaster damage is covered.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, FEMA is advising survivors who live in Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk or Virginia Beach with property damage to contact both their insurance company and FEMA. Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017 is the last day to apply to FEMA for disaster assistance.

If you are a homeowner or renter with insurance and your home or personal property was damaged by the storm:

  • You must contact your insurance agent to file a claim with your insurance company.

  • You should be prepared to fully describe to your agent the damage caused by the storms.

  • You should keep a record of all contact you have with the agent and the insurance company.

  • You should keep a record of the claim number and the date you called to make the claim.

  • Always keep all damage repair receipts.

  • FEMA will send you a letter requesting insurance claim documentation, such as a decision letter (settlement or denial) from your insurance company, in order to further process your application.

FEMA cannot duplicate benefits that are covered by insurance, but you may be eligible for help with losses not covered or those in excess of your insurance coverage. However, you will not be considered for this assistance until FEMA receives a decision letter from your insurance company.

Homeowners and renters may be eligible for FEMA Other Needs Assistance (ONA) grants to help with uninsured or underinsured expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster, including:

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Child care and

  • Funeral cost

Survivors who register and receive a Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loan application should return the application. SBA applicants are not obligated to accept a loan; however, completing the application may make available additional FEMA assistance. Applicants who may not qualify for a SBA loan may be eligible for Other Needs Assistance.

FEMA encourages both insured and uninsured survivors who sustained disaster-related damage or losses to apply by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3362 (TTY users should call 800-462-7585) or online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The toll-free lines are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available. Jan. 3, 2017 is the last day for survivors to file an application.

 

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Even if you have insurance—register for disaster assistance

Disaster Assistance Tops $3.1 Million for Virginia Survivors

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – One week after President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Virginia, more than $3.1 million has been approved for homeowners and renters affected by Hurricane Matthew on Oct. 7, 2016.

This assistance comes in the form of federal grants to individuals and households as part of a joint effort by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials. More than 1,970 households have applied to FEMA for disaster grants for homeowners and renters. Assistance is currently available to residents in four cities, Chesapeake, Newport News, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.

Disaster assistance for individuals may include grants to help homeowners and renters with temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement, and serious disaster-related needs. Disaster assistance grants from FEMA are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicare, and other federal programs. Grants do not have to be repaid to the federal government and do not count as taxable income.

FEMA-contracted housing inspectors have completed more than 1,035 inspections of disaster-damaged properties to verify damage.

Although $3.1 million has been approved in FEMA grants, flood insurance policies have paid more than $12.3 million to those who were covered by flood insurance. To date 2,179 claims have been filed.

Everyone in the disaster declared municipalities is eligible to buy flood insurance, whether they are a business owner, reside in, rent, or own a primary or secondary residence inside or outside a high risk or special flood hazard area. Even condominium complexes can purchase flood insurance. Flood insurance is the best tool for economic recovery after a flood event.

One of FEMA’s federal partners in disaster recovery, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), offers low-interest disaster loans for businesses of all sizes, homeowners, renters and private non-profit organizations. SBA disaster loans may cover repairs, rebuilding, as well as the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged real estate and personal property.

For more information about SBA loans, call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster.  TTY users may call 800-877-8339. Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

Registering with FEMA is the first step in qualifying for disaster assistance. January 3, 2017 is the deadline for survivors to file an application. FEMA encourages all survivors who sustained disaster-related damage or losses to apply by phone (voice, 711 or relay service) at 800-621-3622. TTY users should call 800-462-7585. Go online at DisasterAssistance.gov. The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available.

The Commonwealth and FEMA operate Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Chesapeake, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. DRCs are open Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  An easy-to-use DRC Locator is available online at //asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm.

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Disaster Assistance Tops $3.1 Million for Virginia Survivors

Get help with disaster info; Visit Virginia Beach, Chesapeake DRCs

 RICHMOND, Va.—Survivors who suffered damages in Hurricane Matthew are urged to visit one of the two newly opened Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to register, get recovery assistance, and get their questions answered.

 

Both centers, one in Virginia Beach and one in Chesapeake, opened at noon today, Monday, November 7, 2016. Additional DRCs in Newport News and Norfolk will be opening soon. Survivors may visit any DRC.

 

The Virginia Beach DRC is located in the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library, near the Cafe. The Chesapeake location is co-located with the City’s local DRC in the Chesapeake Department of Human Services building.

 

Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday until further notice. 

 

The addresses are:

 

Virginia Beach:

Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library

4100 Virginia Beach Blvd

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Enter main door, turn right, near Cafe

 

Chesapeake:

Chesapeake Department of Human Services

City of Chesapeake

100 Outlaw St.

Chesapeake, VA 23320

Enter main door, turn right

 

DRCs are operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).

 

You don’t need to visit a DRC to register for Federal assistance, survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY users can call 800-462-7585. The telephone lines are staffed daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT until further notice. Help is available in almost any language.

 

Staff at the recovery centers can check individuals’ cases, answer questions about claims, or review information needed to process their claims.  Specialists from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and VDEM staff will be at each location.

 

To find out more about how a DRC operates, go to: https://www.fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers

 

Additional information about this disaster is available at www.fema.gov and www.vaemergency.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.

 

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 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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Get help with disaster info; Visit Virginia Beach, Chesapeake DRCs

FEMA Extends Incident Period for Massachusetts Counties’ Bombing Expenses

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.–The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a request from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to extend by four days the incident period for which agencies may claim federal reimbursement for part of their Marathon bombing response expenses.

In April President Obama authorized FEMA to reimburse government and some private non-profit entities in Bristol, Middlesex, Norfolk and Suffolk counties for part of their bombing related expenses incurred from April 15 to 22, 2013. That period has now been extended to end on April 26.

“Many agencies continued to incur emergency response expenses for a number of days after the April 15 bombing,” said Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “FEMA’s extension of the incident period is a welcome support for our police departments, hospitals and other agencies that kept Boston strong during a challenging time.”

FEMA has received requests for assistance with bombing expenses from 51 different applicants, including police and fire departments, hospitals and universities.

“FEMA will continue working with applicants to assure that all receive the maximum federal assistance we can provide,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Nick Russo.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses 75 percent of applicants’ eligible costs.

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 Extends Incident Period for Massachusetts Counties’ Bombing Expenses

FEMA Blizzard Aid to Massachusetts Tops $4 Million

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program has obligated more than $4.2 million to help the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with costs due to the February 8-10 blizzard.

On April 19, a major disaster declaration made federal funding available to the commonwealth, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations in Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester counties. FEMA has obligated $4,208,651 to aid the affected counties.

FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo said, “This assistance reduces the blizzard’s financial burden on local governments and agencies who worked tirelessly in the days immediately following the crippling storm.”  He added that FEMA continues working to ensure that all receive the maximum disaster assistance for which they are eligible.

Kurt Schwartz, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said his agency works closely with FEMA to ensure all eligible federal dollars flow to the commonwealth in a timely manner.

“MEMA will continue to work with our local communities as we move forward with the distribution of these reimbursement dollars,” Schwartz said.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses public agencies and certain private non-profits for 75 per cent of their eligible costs. For the snowstorm, most of the costs were for emergency response overtime work and for clearing tons of snow from public roads and other public facilities.

In addition, assistance is available to the commonwealth and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for snow assistance for a continuous 48-hour period during or proximate to the incident period in Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.

 

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FEMA Blizzard Aid to Massachusetts Tops $4 Million

President Declares Disaster for Massachusetts

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to supplement commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe winter storm, snowstorm, and flooding during the period of February 8 – 9, 2013.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to the commonwealth and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm, snowstorm, and flooding in Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties. 

In addition, assistance is available to the commonwealth and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for snow assistance, for a continuous 48-hour period during or proximate to the incident period in Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties within the commonwealth.

James N. Russo has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Russo said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the commonwealth and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Follow FEMA online at fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema. 

The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications. 

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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President Declares Disaster for Massachusetts