COLUMBIA, S.C. (Monday, Nov. 14) – Just one month remains for Hurricane Matthew survivors in South Carolina to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and submit loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
The last day for survivors to register for federal disaster assistance is Tuesday, December 13. Survivors can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or relay service) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.
Disaster assistance from FEMA may include grants for homeowners or renters to help pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources.
The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private non- profit organizations, homeowners and renters. SBA loans help fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.
Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the SBA are available to small businesses and private- nonprofits to assist with working capital needs as a direct result of the disaster. SBA loans are for uninsured or underinsured disaster losses. SBA advises it is not necessary to wait for an insurance settlement before submitting a loan application.
Eligible survivors should register now with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but FEMA may be able to help with uninsured or underinsured losses.
Survivors who have questions about their flood insurance policies and coverage should contact the NFIP call center at 800-621-3362 (Option 2) between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Specialists can help with service claims, provide general information regarding policies and offer technical assistance to aid in recovery.
After registering with FEMA, survivors who need one-on-one assistance may visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). To find a list of DRC locations and hours, download the FEMA App to your mobile phone or visit asd.fema.gov/inter/locator. DRCs are accessible to people with disabilities. The centers have magnifiers, tools to amplify sound, materials in alternative formats, and video remote interpretation. Sign language interpreters are available upon request.
For more information about the disaster recovery operation, go online to fema.gov/disaster/4286 or the South Carolina Emergency Management Division at scemd.org/recovery-section/ia.
All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).
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. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.
The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster- damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s websiteat www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.
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South Carolina Survivors Have 30 Days to Apply for Disaster Assistance
