Application deadline passes but FEMA ‘still there to help’

(WTOK) - The Mar. 16 deadline for applying for FEMA Individual Assistance has passed, but that does not mean FEMA is leaving. FEMA said it will continue working with Alabama Emergency Management Agency to help survivors and communities in the recovery process from tornadoes and severe storms Jan. 12, 2023.

If you live in Autauga, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Mobile, Morgan, Sumter and Tallapoosa counties and applied for help with FEMA due to damage from the storms, FEMA encourages to you keep in touch.

This way you can track the progress of your case, notify the agency of changes to your mailing or email addresses or phone numbers, and report insurance settlements or additional damage you may have discovered since your home inspection.

Here’s how to reach FEMA:

Online at DisasterAssistance.gov or DisasterAssistance.gov/es (for Spanish)

Call 800-621-3362. The helpline is open, and help is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, seven days a week, in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.

Download the FEMA Mobile App in English and Spanish.

The application deadline for a U.S. Small Business Administration low-interest physical disaster loan has also passed. The deadline for small business owners to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan is Oct. 16, 2023.

You may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via the SBA’s secure website at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Paper applications may be requested by calling the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

As of Mar. 17, fEMA had approved more than $6.7 million for households and individuals. SBA had approved more than $6.9 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and business owners.

FEMA, AEMA, and SBA operated 11 disaster recovery centers, all of which are now closed. More than 2,300 people visited the centers throughout the 10 designated counties to receive information and advice for their recovery.

In addition, Disaster Survivor Assistance teams visited more than 11,300 homes and talked to more than 6,800 survivors about how FEMA can help in their recovery efforts, to answer survivors’ questions and, if needed, to help survivors apply.

For information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4684.

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