PEARL, Miss. — Mississippi residents and businesses recovering from the recent storms and tornadoes can help speed the process of obtaining federal assistance by starting as soon as possible and following some simple steps.

FEMA can’t help if you don’t apply. Registration is simple and can be done:

Online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov any time day or night.

• By phone or video relay at 800-621-FEMA (3362) daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. Help is available in many languages.
• By TTY at 800-462-7585.
• C-Spire Wireless customers can register by calling #362.
• By web-enabled mobile devices at m.fema.gov.
• Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

After registration: It’s about follow-up

• Keep critical appointments. A FEMA-contracted inspector will make an appointment to visit your damaged home.  Make every effort to be at home, or authorize someone 18 or older who lived in the residence at the time of the disaster to stand in during the inspection.
• Stay in touch with FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362) to change an appointment, to update an address or telephone number or to provide additional information.
• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center: Get face-to-face-guidance and answers to questions at recovery centers. Five are open in four counties in Mississippi from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until further notice:

     Ben McNair Recreation Center, 300 North 12th Ave., Hattiesburg, 39401

     Petal Civic Center, 712 S. Main St., Petal, 39465

     Lamar Park, 226 Pinewood Drive, Hattiesburg, 39402

     Mount Carmel Church of God, 573 Mount Carmel Church Rd., Foxworth 39483

     Waynesboro Fire Station, 710 Wayne St., Waynesboro, 39367

• Return forms promptly. After registering, survivors may receive a U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan application package in the mail. Fill out and return these forms promptly. You don’t have to accept a loan but this application may open new doors of assistance. SBA representatives at Disaster Recovery Centers will assist in completing your home or business disaster loan application as well as answer any of your questions.
• Read all FEMA letters and documents. Applicants deemed eligible for disaster assistance will receive a letter from FEMA providing guidance on their disaster relief grant. It will explain ways the money can be spent for recovery and explain that federal assistance may have to be repaid if it is duplicated by insurance or other assistance received.

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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