STEP1

CONTACT AMERICAN RED CROSS or SALVATION ARMY for immediate emergency needs of food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.

For a current list of Red Cross Service locations, see http://www.redcross.org/news/ or call 866-GET-INFO

STEP 2

CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY

For a list of insurance hot lines by county, see http://www.hurricanecharleyrelief.com/

STEP 3

REGISTER WITH THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA)

Call to Apply for Assistance 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

The speech or hearing impaired may call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585.

When you call, have the following with you:

Pen & Paper to take some notes

Insurance Policy Number

Social Security Number

An address/phone # where you can be reached

Any repair receipts you may have

FEMA can provide:

Housing Assistance

·    Lodging expenses reimbursement (for a hotel or motel. If you have a bank account FEMA will direct deposit funds for 2 months of “reasonable and customary” rental costs.)

·    Rental assistance (cash payment for a temporary rental unit or a manufactured home.  You may be eligible to receive rental assistance for up to 18 months.)

·    Home repair cash grant ($5,000)

·    Home replacement cash grant  ($10,000)

Other Needs Assistance: Medical, dental, funeral costs, Transportation costs, and other disaster-related needs

THE TOTAL FEMA WILL GRANT FOR ALL NEEDS IS A MAXIMUM OF $25,000.
Deadline for application:  60 days following a disaster.
For more information about FEMA, see http://www.fema.gov/rrr/
 

STEP 4

ASK FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA) APPLICATION when you apply for FEMA, in order to be eligible for further government assistance.

SBA assistance provides:

·    Personal Property Loans: This loan can provide a homeowner or renter with up to $40,000 to help repair or replace personal property, such as clothing, furniture, automobiles, etc., lost in the disaster. As a rule of thumb, personal property is anything that is not considered real estate or a part of the actual structure.

·    Real Property Loans: A homeowner may apply for a loan of up to $200,000 to repair or restore their primary home to its pre-disaster condition. The loan may not be used to upgrade the home or make additions to it. If, however, city or county building codes require structural improvements, the loan may be used to meet these requirements.

Note:  A renter may apply only for a personal property loan.

Insurance Proceeds: If you have insurance coverage on your personal property/home, the amount you will receive from the insurance company will be deducted from the total damage to your property in order to determine the amount for which you are eligible to apply to the SBA.

For more information about SBA, see http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/index.html

STEP 5

APPLY FOR DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (DUA) at your local state unemployment office if you are have lost your job because of the hurricane.  The FEMA representative can direct you to that office.

The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program provides unemployment benefits and re-employment services to individuals who have become unemployed because of major disasters. Benefits are made available to individuals not covered by other unemployment compensation programs, such as self-employed, farmers, migrant and seasonal workers, and those who have insufficient quarters to qualify for other unemployment compensation.

STEP 6

CONTACT LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE (LDR) for unmet needs that are not covered by services above.

Lutheran Disaster Response provides help principally to Lutheran agencies, churches, pastors and congregations, as well as to the most vulnerable among us -- the elderly, children, the homeless, and migrant farm workers.

For a current list of LDR help sites, call 800-651-1853 or see http://www.fbsynod.org/Hurricanes/GetHelp/LDRChSites.htm