November 8 2010 -
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- The deadline for Iowa disaster survivors to register for federal disaster assistance is Nov. 12, 2010, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) announced today.
Homeowners, renters, and business owners who suffered losses in the June 1 to Aug. 31, 2010 severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes, who live in one of the 38 declared counties may be eligible for disaster assistance. The counties included in the declaration are: Appanoose, Black Hawk, Boone, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clayton, Decatur, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Kossuth, Lee, Lucas, Lyon, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, O’Brien, Osceola, Polk, Ringgold, Shelby, Sioux, Story, Taylor, Union, Wapello, Warren, Webster, and Wright counties.
“The deadline to register for disaster assistance is rapidly approaching,” said State Coordinating Officer Pat Hall of Iowa HSEMD. “We urge all disaster survivors to register before it’s too late.”
To date, more than 13,000 individuals have registered for federal assistance in the declared counties and more than $25 million has been approved through FEMA’s individual and households program. More than $12 million has been approved in low-interest disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace their damaged or destroyed primary residence through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
Businesses of any size and private non-profit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to help homeowners and business owners with the cost of making improvements that protect, prevent, or minimize the same type of disaster from occurring in the future.
For small businesses and most private, non-profit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.
Iowa flood survivors may register or check the status of their application online anytime at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 800-462-7585, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., until further notice. Multilingual operators are available to answer calls during this time.
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.
The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term repair and rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations 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 information about SBA programs, applicants may call (800) 659-2955 (TTY 1-800-977-8339, or online at www.sba.gov.
