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

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

FEMA Publishes Webinar Presentation on Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program

PHILADELPHIA – FEMA Region III recently hosted four webinars on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) to help explain the program and provide guidance to potential applicants for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 awards. In addition to encouraging participation from local fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) departments across the nation, Region III is publishing the webinar online for applicants to view. The slide deck can be accessed at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/126678.

“The Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program is just one of FEMA’s grant programs but it has an immediate effect at the local level,” stated FEMA Region III Regional Administrator MaryAnn Tierney. “These grants provide critical equipment, supplies, vehicles, and other life saving devices to our first responders in communities across the country.”

The primary goal of the AFG is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire-related hazards by providing direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTA) for critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operations efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.

Interested applicants should Read through the FY 2016 AFG Application Guidance Materials before applying. In addition, other FEMA regional offices and Headquarters may offer additional webinars that are open to applicants across the nation. The full schedule is available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/118928 and will allow applicants to gain information on the program and ask questions of national experts. The presentation is available at https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/126678. Applicants may apply through the AFG Application Portal at https://www.fema.gov/e-grant-application-access. Applicants will need a registered System for Award Management (SAM) ID.

The FY2016 AFG grant application period is open until November 18, 2016 at 5:00 pm EST. Applicants with questions on their applications or the process may contact the AFG Program Help Desk toll-free at (866) 274-0960 or by email at firegrants@dhs.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. FEMA Region III’s jurisdiction includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.  Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts are available at fema.gov/medialibrary and youtube.com/fema. Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion3.

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Original article:

FEMA Publishes Webinar Presentation on Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program

Many Residents Missing Out on FEMA Help

BATON ROUGE, La. — Many residents of parishes covered by last month’s presidential disaster declaration might be eligible for federal assistance, but have yet to seek help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Some homeowners and renters who would qualify for assistance miss out on aid because they are mistaken or misinformed about applying, or are returning to damaged dwellings. All you need to do is register with FEMA to get the process started.

To seek aid, call 800-621-3362 between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. seven days a week. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use TTY call 800-462-7585, and those who use 711 or Video Relay Services may call 800-621-3362. You may also apply online with any computer, smartphone or tablet at www.DisasterAssistance.gov   

Some survivors who already have cleaned up and made repairs themselves think they cannot apply for assistance. Others worry that accepting money from FEMA might affect their Social Security checks or that a FEMA grant would be taxed as income by the IRS. Neither is the case.

Still others might hesitate in accepting taxpayer money because they feel their neighbors need it more.

Sometimes survivors assume that once they collect their insurance claims they are no longer eligible for federal help, even if the insurance payment fell short of covering the damages.

Perhaps the most common reason, however, that people do not apply for FEMA assistance is their mistaken assumption that once they alert local, county or state officials to their damages they automatically are registered with FEMA. They are not.

Register with FEMA at 800-621-3362 or online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.   

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Many Residents Missing Out on FEMA Help

Child Care Service Available for Louisiana Survivors Visiting Celtic Studios Disaster Recovery Center

BATON ROUGE, La. – Child care service is now available for Louisiana survivors while they are visiting the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge.

The child care service is provided during the hours of the Disaster Recovery Center:    

East Baton Rouge Parish

Location:  Celtic Studios

10000 Celtic Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Monday through Sunday)

Parents of children ages 3-12 may use the free child care service while they conduct business at the Disaster Recovery Center. The child care service is not a day care and children cannot be left at the Disaster Recovery Center.

The child care service is provided by volunteers of Children’s Disaster Services, a ministry of the Church of the Brethren. All child care volunteers are trained in a 27-hour workshop.

The child care service is offered in a secure location at the Disaster Recovery Center. Upon check in, a parent is given a numbered badge that is identical to one placed on his or her child. This badging process ensures that only the child’s parent can check the child out of the care service.

Children’s Disaster Services will continue to provide their child care service at the Disaster Recovery Center as long as qualified volunteers are available.

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Source: 

Child Care Service Available for Louisiana Survivors Visiting Celtic Studios Disaster Recovery Center

Text messages for West Virginians from FEMA

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – When you register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), you can choose to receive updates to your smartphone or other device via text. You will start receiving those updates soon after you complete the registration process.

The official FEMA number sending messages to your device is 43362 and all notifications will contain the last four digits of your FEMA registration number at the beginning of the message (for example, FEMA ID####).

The messages you receive will include information such as when a determination of eligibility for federal aid is made or when any type of request letter has been mailed to you asking you to provide additional information to FEMA.

If you get a text requesting more information, log into your account on DisasterAssistance.gov for more details. If you don’t follow through, it may delay the assistance process.

If you get a text saying a FEMA-contracted housing inspector was unable to contact you, call the FEMA helpline as soon as possible at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362.

If you get a text saying your case has been updated, log onto your account on DisasterAssistance.gov to view the status update. You will receive this message when a decision has been made.

  • If the decision states you are eligible for assistance, you may receive a message stating a payment is scheduled.

  • If the decision states you are ineligible for assistance, this isn’t necessarily a final decision. It may simply mean that FEMA needs more information or documentation to further evaluate your application. Read the information carefully.

If you have questions about any messages or letters you get from FEMA, call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362; or visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). You can locate the DRC closest to you by visiting http://go.usa.gov/x3NnJ.

Additional information on West Virginia’s disaster recovery can be found by visiting fema.gov/disaster/4273, twitter.com/femaregion3, twitter.com/FEMA and fema.gov/blog.

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Text messages for West Virginians from FEMA

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

Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Newberry to Help South Carolina Flood Survivors

COLUMBIA, S.C. – A disaster recovery center is open in Newberry to help South Carolina flood survivors. This Newberry County center is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

The disaster recovery center is located at:
Newberry County Sheriff’s Emergency Services Building
540 Wilson Road, Newberry.

Representatives from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies are at the center to answer questions about disaster assistance and low-interest loans. They can also help survivors apply for aid.

It is not necessary to visit a center to register for and receive state/federal disaster assistance. If possible, survivors should register with FEMA before visiting a recovery center.

To register, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages and phone lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice.

Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585 to register. Those who use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) or require accommodations while visiting a center may call 800-621-3362. All disaster recovery centers are accessible and equipped with tools to accommodate disaster survivors who need disability-related communication aids.

Additional disaster recovery centers are open in affected South Carolina counties. For information call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4241.

Excerpt from: 

Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Newberry to Help South Carolina Flood Survivors

Just one week left to register for FEMA assistance

SAIPAN, CNMI – Monday marks one week left for Typhoon Soudelor survivors on Saipan to register for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The deadline is Monday, Oct. 5.

FEMA Individual Assistance is available to U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, and qualified aliens who have disaster-related damages on Saipan.
“People must register to get help,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Stephen M. DeBlasio Sr. “We don’t want anyone to lose benefits just by not registering.”

Survivors can apply for assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. People with speech or hearing disabilities and who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can also call 800-621-3362, but those who use TTY should call 800-462-7585.

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.

Source:

Just one week left to register for FEMA assistance

Michigan Flood Survivors Can Get Free Legal Aid

WARREN, Mich. – Individuals who sustained damage from the August storms and flooding can call the Disaster Legal Services hotline at 844-451-0749 for free legal assistance and counseling.

Through the hotline, volunteer lawyers can help eligible survivors with legal issues related to the disaster. Volunteer lawyers can discuss insurance claims, landlord-tenant issues, consumer protection issues and the replacement of wills or other important documents that were lost or destroyed during the storm.

To be eligible for this free legal assistance, applicants must reside in one of the three counties designated for Individual Assistance under the federal disaster declaration for the August storms. The counties are Macomb, Oakland and Wayne.

Disaster Legal Services is a federally funded program run under an agreement between the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Individuals also can register for disaster assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via smart phone, tablet or web-enabled device at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) users call 800-462-7585. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT seven days a week until further notice.

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

English: http://www.fema.gov/disaster/4195
Spanish: http://www.fema.gov/es/disaster/4195
 

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Michigan Flood Survivors Can Get Free Legal Aid

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