FEMA: Federal Assistance Tops $244 Million in Tennessee Recovery
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 | 05:56am
NASHVILLE – More than $244 million has been approved for federal assistance since President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for Tennessee on May 4, 2010. More than 63,980 people have registered for help with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the 46 counties designed for Individual Assistance.
The deadline for homeowners, renters and businesses to register for help from FEMA, as well as the deadline for completing and returning U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan applications, has been extended from July 6 to Aug. 5, 2010.
An extension for filing a proof-of-loss statement with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has also been granted. Policy holders now have a total of 90 days from the date their home was damaged to submit a fully documented, signed and sworn proof-of-loss statement instead of the usual 60 days. The flooding incident period (April 30 to May 5, 2010) is different from the declaration period (April 30 to May 18, 2010) which includes severe storms and flooding.
More than $143 million has been approved for the Individuals and Households Program – including $124 million in housing aid, which includes rental and home repair assistance, and $19 million in other needs assistance such as personal property lost due to the storm.
More than $101.9 million in SBA low-interest disaster loans have also been approved following the severe storms and flooding between April 30 and May 18.
The following is a recap of activities and assistance provided by FEMA and its partners:
- To help identify and assist disaster survivors, teams of state and FEMA Community Relations field specialists have visited 21,409 homes, 5,724 businesses, 1,702 faith-based organizations and 358 community-based organizations.
- To date, Community Education Outreach teams of mitigation specialists have spoken with 51,436 people, counseled 20,793 and distributed 43,344 publications. Individuals referred to Disaster Recovery Centers: 2,291.
- There were more than 18,808 visits to 66 separate Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) established by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and FEMA to speed one-on-one help with recovery in the 46 counties declared for Individual Assistance. There are now four DRCs open in the disaster-designated counties, where specialists are still available to answer questions for applicants and review information FEMA needs to process applications for disaster assistance.
- More than 399,100 employees, students, organizations and customers in business organizations and companies received disaster recovery information from FEMA’s Private Sector division.
Those affected by the storms and flooding can register or get answers to questions by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 800-462-7585 for those with speech and hearing disabilities. They also can register online anytime at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Many options are available to storm and flood survivors to take charge of their recovery, whether they are waiting to learn if they are eligible for disaster assistance or have already received it. Here are some tips and resources to help applicants proceed along the road to a smart recovery.
Register Before the Deadline on Aug. 5, 2010
If you had damage from the severe storms and flooding that took place between April 30 and May 18, the deadline to register is Aug. 5.
Follow-Up
If you have questions, call the Helpline at 800-621-3362 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Locations can be found at asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/drcLocator.jsp.
If you receive a disaster loan application from the SBA, complete and return it, even if you are not interested in taking out a loan. Failure to fill out an SBA application will prevent referral for other possible federal assistance.
Housing
For those who have been displaced and need a home to rent, thousands of rental listings can be found at FEMA's housing portal at asd.fema.gov/inter/hportal/home.htm. Also, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency sponsors a free, statewide rental housing database of available properties. Online access is available at TNHousingSearch.org or by calling 877-428-8844.
Families who do not have many rental resource options in their area or who would like to live on their property while they make repairs to their home are permitted to use FEMA assistance grants toward the purchase or rental of a travel trailer, RV, or manufactured housing.
Low-Interest Loans
The SBA offers low-interest, long-term disaster loans to homeowners and renters as well as businesses. Find more information at http://www.sba.gov.
Crisis Counseling
It is normal to experience stress while rebuilding after a disaster. If you live north of the Cumberland River and feel you are having trouble coping, short-term crisis counseling referrals are available at any Disaster Recovery Center or online at www.tn.gov/mental, or call the Tennessee Recovery Project, 615-743-1622.
Legal Services
Survivors who need legal advice can call the disaster legal assistance hotline at 888-395-9297. This is a joint project by the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Assistance, the American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division and local legal organizations. The hotline is a source of advice on insurance claims, landlord-tenant problems, home-repair contracts, mortgage foreclosure problems, replacement of legal documents and other disaster-related matters.
Volunteer Help
If you need additional clothing, furniture or other supplies, call Tennessee's 2-1-1 line. You may also be eligible for assistance with cleaning your house, removing mold and other flood-related household repairs.
Follow the recovery in Tennessee online at http://twitter.com/tema, www.twitter.com/femainfocus, http://www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, www.youtube.com/fema and http://www.flickr.com/photos/t_e_m_a.
The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA and TEMA do not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.
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 loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
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