Matthew victims get more time to apply for help from FEMA
By From staff reports
Published in News on November 18, 2016 10:02 AM
Victims of Hurricane Matthew now have more time in which to apply for federal aid.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a 31-day extension for Hurricane Matthew survivors to apply for federal disaster assistance.
The state requested more time for registration because a number of counties were added for Individual Assistance several weeks after the original Oct. 10 presidential disaster declaration.
Survivors now have until Jan. 9 to register with FEMA.
This new deadline also applies to homeowners, renters and businesses submitting applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Registration is open to survivors in Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Wake, Washington, Wayne and Wilson counties.
Registering with FEMA is the first step to federal disaster assistance.
Register online at DisasterAssistance.gov; download the FEMA Mobile App and apply; or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 for voice, 711 and Video Relay Service. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585.
Anyone with questions or who need information is encouraged to visit an open Disaster Recovery Center. To locate the center nearest you, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, use the ReadyNC and FEMA mobile apps or go online to FEMA.gov/DRC or readync.org.
Survivors requiring a reasonable accommodation such as American Sign Language interpreting, Braille, large print, etc. while visiting a disaster recovery center may call the helpline numbers for support.
The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Help is available in most languages, and information on the registration process is available in American Sign Language at fema.gov/media-library/assets/videos/111546.
Disaster recovery centers are staffed with representatives from FEMA, North Carolina Emergency Management and Small Business Administration.
Survivors can get help applying for federal assistance, learn about the types of assistance available, learn about the appeals process and get updates about applications.
A convenient way to apply for an SBA low-interest disaster loan is to visit a FEMA/state disaster recovery center or an SBA Business Recovery Center and meet with an SBA representative in person.
SBA has staff at all disaster recovery centers and business recovery centers to help people with their application.
For more information, applicants may contact SBA's Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA's website at www.sba.gov/disaster.
Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call TTY 800-877-8339.