Countdown Begins: A Month Left for Federal Disaster Assistance Applications
Residents in Cannon, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Lewis, Macon, McNairy, Rutherford, Tipton, and Wayne counties affected by the recent storms and tornadoes are reminded that they have up until Tuesday, June 6, 2023, to submit their applications for federal disaster aid. This assistance is designed to provide support for homeowners and renters who have suffered damages or losses due to these extreme weather events.
Before applying for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance, residents are urged to file insurance claims for any damage to their homes, personal property, and vehicles. It’s important to note that FEMA assistance isn’t taxed, and receiving this aid won’t impact eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, or any other federal benefits. Furthermore, any grants provided by FEMA don’t require repayment, but applicants must demonstrate that they have suffered losses or property damage from the March 31 to April 1 tornadoes.
The Individual Assistance program from FEMA aims to help disaster survivors meet basic critical needs, including finding a safe, accessible, and functional place to live. These grants can be utilized to pay for temporary housing, home repairs for your primary residence, and possibly personal property loss, childcare, medical or dental care, as well as other serious disaster-related needs that aren’t covered by insurance.
If you’ve applied for FEMA assistance and have confirmed damage, FEMA will reach out to you to schedule an inspection appointment. Be aware that calls from FEMA may originate from an unknown number, and your case will be locked if the inspector is unable to reach you after three attempts.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may be recommended to individuals by FEMA, even those who don’t own a business or home. The SBA provides the most substantial federal disaster funding for those impacted by such disasters. Applications for a low-interest disaster loan from the SBA should also be submitted by the June 6 deadline.
Should you be approved for an SBA loan, there is no obligation to accept it. However, if the SBA can’t approve your loan application, they will refer you back to FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for potential additional assistance.
For those interested in applying to the SBA, online applications and further information can be found at https://DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/. SBA’s Customer Service Center can be contacted at 800-659-2955 or via email at DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov for more information or to request a loan application by mail. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
Completed paper loan applications should be mailed to the U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Applications can also be submitted with the aid of an SBA representative or at a Business Recovery Center, which can be located by clicking https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230421/its-important-return-your-sba-loan-application.
To apply for FEMA disaster assistance, individuals can visit any Disaster Recovery Center where specialists can provide assistance in updating FEMA applications and provide information about Tennessee state and community programs as well as other forms of assistance. No appointment is necessary to visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Centers can be located via this link: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator.
For the most current information on Tennessee’s recovery from the severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes, visit FEMA.gov/Disaster/4701. You can also follow TN.gov/TEMA; Twitter.com/TEMA, Facebook.com/TNDisasterInfo, @FEMARegion4/Twitter, and Facebook.com/FEMA for updates.
