FEMA Extends Deadline For Hurricane Irma Assistance

LAKELAND, FL – Hurricane Irma victims who have not applied for federal individual assistance now have three more weeks to apply for help.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it extended the deadline to Friday, Nov. 24 for Hurricane Irma victims in the 48 designated Florida Counties to register for FEMA individual disaster assistance. The original deadline for Floridians to apply for assistance was Thursday, Nov. 9.

The extension, which was agreed upon by FEMA and the State of Florida, is for victims living in disaster-designated individual assistance counties: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union and Volusia.

According to FEMA, federal disaster assistance for families and individuals can include money for essential home repairs, personal property losses, rental assistance and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.

Hurricane Irma victims can register, at www.disasterassistance.gov, (800) 621-3362 or (800) 462-7585 (TTY). The FEMA helpline is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, seven days a week until further notice.

Additional deadlines for disaster assistance in the 48 designated Florida counties include:

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance: Tuesday, Oct. 31 – Available for residents who became unemployed because of Hurricane Irma, are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance and need benefits and re-employment services. Apply online at www.floridajobs.org.
• Request for Public Assistance: Sunday, Nov. 5 – RPAs allow state, tribal, territorial and local governments, and certain eligible nonprofit organizations to quickly respond to and recover from effects of Hurricane Irma, including emergency response, debris removal and permanent work such as repairs or replacements of schools, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.
• U.S. Small Business Administration Low-Interest Loans: Thursday, Nov. 9 – Small businesses can apply to FEMA for additional assistance beyond insurance. The deadline for physical property damage applications is Nov. 9. The filing deadline for economic injury applications is Monday, June 11. Apply online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
• Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program: Thursday, Nov. 30 – Provides short-term, interest-free loans in amounts up to $50,000 for small businesses that experienced physical or economic damage during Hurricane Irma. Apply online at www.floridadisasterloan.org.
• Immediate Foreclosure Relief: Saturday, Dec. 9 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development granted a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and forbearance on foreclosures of FHA-insured home mortgages in Florida. The moratorium ends on Dec. 9.

Photo by J.T. Blatty / FEMA