FEMA Disaster Assistance Deadline Approaching

The deadline for Winston County residents to apply for Disaster Assistance from April's storms is June 28th. The following is a statement issued by FEMA that provides more details on costs covered and eligibility:

CLINTON, Miss – If you have insurance and you suffered damage from April’s storms and tornadoes or May’s flooding, can you still register with FEMA?
Absolutely!
While neither FEMA nor the U. S. Small Business Administration will duplicate insurance benefits, you may be eligible for help with losses not covered or damage in excess of your coverage. The only requirements are that you must reside in one of the counties included in the declaration and register before the deadline.
FEMA grants may cover alternative housing, minor home repairs, and/or replacing essential household items not covered by insurance. Other types of grants may be available to help with medical, dental, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs.
SBA disaster loans help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property and business assets. These loans may cover insurance deductibles, code-required upgrades and other costs not compensated for by insurance or other sources.

What if you have flood insurance? Can you still register with FEMA?
Certainly!
While flood insurance claims are paid even if a disaster is not declared by the President, FEMA and SBA disaster assistance only become available to eligible homeowners, renters and business owners once a declaration is issued. You must reside in one of the counties included in the declaration, register before the deadline, and for homeowners and renters the property must be your primary residence.
Twenty-nine counties are included in the declaration issued for April’s tornados, severe storms and flooding. They are: Alcorn, Attala, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Coahoma, DeSoto, Greene, Grenada, Hinds, Holmes, Jasper, Kemper, Lafayette, Leflore, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Newton, Panola, Quitman, Smith, Sunflower, Tishomingo, Tunica, Webster and Winston. The registration deadline for this declaration is June 28.

Fourteen counties are included in the declaration issued for May’s flooding. They are: Adams, Bolivar, Claiborne, Coahoma, DeSoto, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Sharkey, Tunica, Warren, Washington, Wilkinson and Yazoo. The registration deadline for this declaration is July 11.

To register, find out the status of your application, resolve problems or appeal a decision, called FEMA at 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585.

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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.