Federal officials say tornado victims must register for assistance

To register:

Disaster survivors must register in order to be considered for assistance, by going to disasterassistance.gov or calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). Operators speak many languages. Those with hearing or speech impairment can use TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free FEMA registration numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time seven days a week.
FEMA will ask for the following information:
? The telephone number where you can be reached;
? The address where you lived at the time of the disaster and the address where you are
staying;
? Your Social Security number;
? A general description of damage to your property and other losses;
? The name of your insurance company and your policy number or agent if you have property insurance; and
? Your bank account routing information if you want FEMA to use direct deposit.

Emergency management officials on Wednesday stressed the need for people to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to qualify for disaster assistance after the May 25 tornado.

FEMA extended individual and public disaster assistance to Pettis County on Monday, along with more than 20 other counties hit by severe weather and flooding. The extension makes Pettis County residents, businesses and some not-for-profit groups eligible for federal assistance, including grants and low-interest loans.

Anita Westervelt, a FEMA spokeswoman, told the Democrat that registering with the agency, either online or through its toll-free telephone number is ?the single most important thing ... registering starts the process.?

?Everyone who has damage or was affected is encouraged to register because we will sort through the information. If they don?t register, we don?t know who they are and can?t offer assistance. We already have 63 people from Pettis County who have registered,? Westervelt said. ?And there is $97,164 that we have already approved for those who have registered.?

Pettis County residents may register with FEMA online, at disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). Those with smartphones may also register at m.fema.gov.

Westervelt said to make registration easier, callers should have: their Social Security number; their current mailing address (for displaced persons, use the address where you are currently receiving mail) and phone number; basic information on the type of damage or loss incurred; the name of the caller?s insurance company, if any, and the policy number; approximate household income; and bank account number.

?We do want people to be cautious of scam artists and fraud,? Westervelt warned. ?We want them to know when they call or register it is safe and the only time we will ask for account information or their Social Security number.?

Future conversations with FEMA operators will only require the last four digits of a Social Security number or an assigned disaster registration number.? ?

After registration, a FEMA representative will contact the caller and schedule a time for an on-site inspection of damage. Westervelt again stressed the need for people to be cautious, and encouraged people to ask for the representative?s registration badge and identification.

Callers who qualify for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans or other assistance will receive a loan application packet in the mail.

?It is extremely important that people who receive that packet fill it out and send it back ... if they don?t fill that packet out, their FEMA assistance is stopped,? and the person loses eligibility for grant or loan assistance, Westervelt said.

Olivia Humilde, an SBA spokeswoman, said renters, homeowners, business owners and some not-for-profit groups may qualify for a range of assistance programs.

Low interest (under 3 percent) disaster assistance loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters may also be eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

Business loans charge about 4 percent interest, Humilde said, and all loans have terms of up to 30 years.

Humilde said disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

?If a homeowner or renter does not qualify because of repayment potential, they would be denied but may be referred back to FEMA for other assistance programs,? Humilde said. ?If someone receives a denial letter and it indicates they have been referred to FEMA for other needs assistance, we recommend they do contact FEMA.?

Source: http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/news/assistance-34885-federal-emergency.html

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