Key West The Newspaper

You have until 11:59 tonight, Friday, Nov. 24 to register with FEMA if you have damage caused by Hurricane Irma—in Florida—between Sept. 4 and Oct. 18, 2017.
 
How to register:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service (VRS).
• If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585.
• Help is available in many languages. Helpline numbers are open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EST, seven days a week.
• Information is available in ASL at: fema.gov/medialibrary/assets/videos/111546.
• Download the FEMA Mobile App and apply.
• You may also visit a Disaster Recovery Center. A list of DRCs is available on the FEMA Mobile App, online at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA Helpline.

If you have insurance, register. Why? Your insurance may not cover all your losses. If underinsured, you may be eligible to recover costs of necessary and serious disaster-related expenses through a FEMA grants program called Other Needs Assistance.

The program provides financial assistance for:

• Personal property loss;
• Medical, dental and funeral expenses;
• Transportation repairs/replacement;
• New child care expenses or an increased burden of such expenses;
• Miscellaneous expenses such as dehumidifiers and chainsaws.

The deadline to submit an application for a Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loan also is at 11:59 tonight. Submitting a loan application does not imply acceptance of a loan; it’s a necessary step to being considered for other forms of disaster assistance.

For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing [email protected], or visiting SBA’s website at SBA.gov/disaster. Individuals who are deaf and hard-of-hearing may call 800-877-8339. SBA representatives are also available at any DRC or business recovery center.

For more recovery information, visit www.FEMA.gov/IrmaFL, or follow us @FEMARegion4 on Twitter and on FEMA’s Facebook page.

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 to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.