FEMA Disaster Assistance
Many of you have contacted my office regarding FEMA assistance to cover the damage caused by Tropical Storm Henri and Hurricane Ida.
Prior to making a formal request to FEMA for assistance, the state must identify the extent of the damages caused by hurricanes Henri and Ida. The Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) is currently assessing the extent of the damages to determine if FEMA thresholds are met and a disaster declaration is needed.
The deadline for municipalities to complete the assessments is this Friday for Hurricane Henri and next Friday for Hurricane Ida. If DEMHS feels that the thresholds can be met, and a disaster declaration is approved by the president, it will submit an application for public assistance resources and potentially individual assistance resources.
The public assistance (PA) program provides assistance for local, and tribal governments, and non-profits for debris removal, and emergency protective measures. The individual assistance (IA) program provides assistance to individual homeowners in declared disaster areas. The IA program may provide financial assistance for temporary housing, repair or replacement of owner-occupied homes, and hazard mitigation services that is not otherwise covered by insurance. The type of assistance that may be released will dependent on the damage assessment.
At this time, there is currently no federal disaster declaration in place for either of these storms, but once a declaration is approved, the following resources may be helpful to you if you need to access assistance:
FEMA Individual Assistance (IA)
Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has established a low-interest loan program to assist homeowners and businesses affected by disaster declarations.
The SBA program offers disaster assistance in the form of low interest loans to businesses, nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters located in regions affected by declared disasters. SBA also provides eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations with working capital to help overcome the economic injury of a declared disaster.
Disaster loan information and application forms may be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or (800) 877-8339 for those who are deaf or partially deaf.
You can also email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or click here for more information.