TEMA: Registration Deadline Looms; Assistance Tops $296 Million

NASHVILLE - Time is running out for survivors of the historic spring floods and storms in Tennessee as the deadline to register for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster assistance is Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010. Applications for low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans are also due Thursday.

 

Register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 from 7 a.m. to

10 p.m. by Thursday, Aug. 5. You can register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, or via mobile phone at m.FEMA.gov.

 

Applicants must register by 10 p.m., Aug. 5, 2010, to be eligible for federal grants and low-interest loans.

 

 

Tennessee flood survivors have received nearly $154 million in approved FEMA housing assistance and grants for other serious disaster-related needs. The SBA has approved more than $142 million in low-interest disaster loans available to homeowners, renters, non-profits and businesses of all sizes. This brings the amount of total federal assistance to more than $296 million.

 

 

FEMA may offer rental assistance to eligible applicants for up to 18 months after a disaster has been declared. Since the spring floods in Tennessee, FEMA has provided nearly $17 million in rental assistance to more than 11,000 renters and homeowners.

 

Eligible applicants initially received two months of rental assistance. They may be eligible for additional help if their damaged residence is still not livable. To qualify for more assistance individuals must go through FEMA's recertification process. Call 800-621-FEMA (3362) for more information.

 

 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has provided disaster support services and housing assistance to more than 1,500 survivors of the spring storms and floods in Tennessee.

 

Go to Go.USA.gov/OQj to view a video documenting the HUD and FEMA partnership.

If you have been displaced by the floods and need housing relocation or other assistance, contact HUD at:

 

Middle Tennessee: Nashville HUD Office – (615) 515-8516

West Tennessee: Memphis Field Office – (901) 544-3367

 

 

In an effort to encourage flood survivors to register for disaster assistance, FEMA's private sector outreach group made regular contact with 50 chambers of commerce and more than 600 businesses, universities and associations following the spring floods.

 

Many organizations helped FEMA reach out to disaster survivors in Tennessee, such as World Wrestling Entertainment ®, the Carson & Barnes Circus, Tony Formosa Racing, NASCAR, Gaylord Entertainment, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Advertising Vehicles, Graffiti Indoor Advertising, Nashville Convention Center, and State Farm Insurance.

 

“Tennessee's business and entertainment community have found creative ways to help the citizens of this state,” said Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) Director James Bassham. “They demonstrate how well TEMA, federal, and private sector partnership operates with the same focus – connecting disaster survivors with disaster assistance.”

 

 

More than 25 percent of all flood insurance claims are from moderate-to-low-risk flood zones. Anyone living in a community that participates in the National Flood Insurance Program can purchase flood insurance.

 

“There is a misconception that you can only buy flood insurance if you live in a special flood hazard area as identified on a community's adopted flood map,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech. “But if your community participates in the program, you can buy flood insurance no matter where your property is.”

 

For more information, call 888-379-9531, visit www.FloodSmart.gov, or call your local insurance agent. Policies go in effect 30 days after the premium is paid and remain in effect for one year.

 

Follow the recovery in Tennessee online at www.twitter.com/t_e_m_a, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, www.youtube.com/fema and www.flickr.com/photos/t_e_m_a.