Published: July 16, 2008 11:07 pm            

Federal disaster assistance deadline nearing

Aug. 11 is last day FEMA will accept applications for individual help

TERRE HAUTE — Indiana residents and business owners affected by recent flooding have less than one month to register for federal disaster assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Wednesday.

Aug. 11 is the last day applications will be accepted by FEMA for individual assistance.

The deadline applies to residents and business owners living in the counties declared presidential disaster areas, including Clay, Greene, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties.

“We really do want people to take the opportunity to find out what assistance they can get and not miss out on it,” said Mel Jenkins, a FEMA field public information officer.

In a disaster, people may think the paperwork can come later, but in this case, “The paperwork has to come quickly,” he said.

He urged residents affected by recent storms and flooding to apply as soon as possible by calling the toll-free registration number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Speech or hearing-impaired may call TTY 1-800-462-7585.

Individuals also may register for disaster assistance at the FEMA Web site, www.fema.gov.

In Vigo County, another option is to go to the Disaster Recovery Center at Booker T. Washington Community Center, where FEMA representatives can assist them.

Loan applications for homeowners, renters and businesses of any size to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also must be submitted by Aug. 11. The loans would be for disaster-related losses to real and personal property.

To date, 15,654 Indiana residents have applied for disaster assistance. More than $74 million in disaster funds have been approved for individuals affected by the disaster. That includes almost $29 million in disaster loans from SBA.

Those who receive a letter from SBA after registering for federal assistance with FEMA should be sure to open it and complete the forms inside.

Returning the loan application is an essential part of the disaster recovery process, even for individuals who do not want a loan.

In a related matter, FEMA has approved Indiana’s request for a 30-day extension for 41 counties to apply for federal public assistance, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced Wednesday.

The new deadline will be Aug. 20 for Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties.

The public assistance declaration means state and local governments and certain non-profit organizations in these counties are eligible to apply for federal public assistance funds to pay at least 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal; emergency services related to the disaster; and repairing or replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.

To apply, eligible agencies and organizations must first submit a request for public assistance to the state of Indiana.

To date, 235 requests for public assistance have been submitted, but officials from FEMA and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security believe there are many other eligible organizations that have yet to apply.

“Hoosiers showed America how a state can come together to respond to a natural disaster,” Daniels said in a prepared statement. “It is essential that we do an equally effective job at recovery and helping people and communities put life back together.”

The main goal of FEMA’s Public Assistance program is to restore facilities to pre-disaster levels. However, there are funds available that allow certain projects to be rebuilt to a higher standard if it can be demonstrated that increased costs will save money in the future.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at (812) 231-4235 or sue.loughlin@tribstar.com.

        

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