State and federal officials are encouraging Arkansas storm victims to register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as soon as possible.
Storm victims may be eligible for federal disaster assistance in Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Faulkner, Jackson, Jefferson, Lee, Little River, Perry, Sebastian and Sevier counties if they had damage from severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding Dec. 26, 2015, to Jan. 22, 2016.
“It is important to register with FEMA even though you may have contacted other agencies or volunteer organizations in your area,” said Scott Bass of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. “Keep clear records and receipts of any repairs and take photos if possible.”
To speed the registration process, have the following available: A current phone number; address at the time of the disaster and current address; Social Security number; general list of damages and losses; and if insured, the insurance policy number, or the agent and company name.
Federal disaster assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover underinsured or uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Disaster recovery loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for businesses as well as homeowners and renters. Call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955 or visit the website at: www.sba.gov/disaster.
To register with FEMA, call 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- and hearing-impaired. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. Residents may also go to www.disasterassistance.gov or use a web-enabled phone or tablet at m.fema.gov. The toll free telephone lines operate from 7 a.m.to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week.