Time Running Out For Hurricane Hermine Federal Disaster Aid

TALLAHASSEE, FL – People who are in need of federal assistance in the wake of Hurricane Hermine have less than two weeks to apply for aid.

Residents who have underinsured or uninsured damages or losses from the storm and who live in the 11 eligible counties have until Monday, Nov. 28 to register for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. The eligible counties in Florida are Hillsborough, Manatee Pasco, Pinellas, Citrus, Dixie, Hernando, Leon, Levy, Taylor and Wakulla.

Hurricane Hermine stalled off the Gulf Coast for several days at the end of August and the beginning of September, impacting the Bay area with heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The State of Florida, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration are continuing to support individuals and families in the recovery efforts.

People seeking assistance can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling (800) 621-3362, which is Video Relay Service accessible. Residents who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have difficulty speaking can call TTY at (800) 462-7585. Helpline hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Applying for federal disaster assistance may help residents who still have unmet needs after receiving an insurance payment. While FEMA cannot duplicate assistance covered by insurance, residents may be eligible for assistance for losses not covered by insurance.

The maximum amount of assistance FEMA can legally provide is limited. FEMA grants do not have to be repaid, are nontaxable and do not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.

Aside from insurance, SBA low-interest disaster loans are the primary source of financial assistance to rebuild disaster-damaged private property for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations. There is no charge to apply for an SBA loan and no obligation to accept it.

A completed SBA loan application is an important step to qualify for other state and FEMA grants that cover personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, moving and storage expenses and other help.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

If SBA does not offer a homeowner or renter a loan, they are referred to FEMA for possible additional grant consideration. Businesses and private nonprofit organizations can borrow up to $2 million for disaster-related losses.

For more information on Florida’s disaster recovery from Hurricane Hermine, visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4280, https://twitter.com/femaregion4, http://www.facebook.com/FEMA, http://www.floridadisaster.org/index.asp, or #FLRecovers on Twitter.

Image via Chris Scott, Flickr, used under Creative Commons