Homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained uninsured or underinsured damage to their property from the Remnants of Hurricane Ida in Bucks County have two weeks left to apply for disaster assistance.
The deadline to apply for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is Nov. 10, 2021, and the deadline to apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan is Nov. 9, 2021.
Assistance from FEMA may include funds for temporary housing while you are unable to live in your home, such as rental assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs; funds to support the repair or replacement of owner-occupied homes that serve as the household’s primary residence, including privately-owned access routes, such as driveways, roads, or bridges; and funds for disaster-caused expenses and serious needs, such as repair or replacement of personal property and vehicles, funds for moving and storage, medical, dental, child care and other miscellaneous items.
Survivors are encouraged to file insurance claims for damage to their homes, personal property, businesses and vehicles before they apply for FEMA assistance. The easiest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Survivors who may need to request an accommodation or have additional questions can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. EDT, seven days a week. Help is available in most languages.
Applicants for disaster assistance should have the following information prior to registration: Social Security number; address of the damaged primary residence; insurance coverage information; current telephone number and mailing address; and bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds.
The primary source of federal funding for long-term disaster recovery not covered by insurance is the Small Business Administration. SBA offers disaster assistance in the form of low interest loans to businesses, nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters. SBA also provides eligible small businesses and nonprofit organizations with working capital to help overcome an economic injury.
Homeowners may be eligible for a disaster loan of up to $200,000 for their primary residence structural repairs or rebuilding and homeowners and renters with up to $40,000 to replace personal property, including automobiles damaged or destroyed in the disaster. Businesses and nonprofit organizations may be eligible to borrow up to $2 million for physical damage and working capital needs to stay in business.
For information on the SBA process, visit DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 800-877-8339.
Survivors should update contact information as soon as possible because FEMA may need to reach them to perform a home inspection or get additional information. FEMA encourages survivors to request direct deposits of disaster assistance to their financial institution. Survivors should let FEMA know as soon as possible of any changes to their mailing or banking information.
Disaster assistance is not a substitute for insurance and cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster. The assistance is intended to meet basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.
Source: US Senator Bob Casey
