BATON ROUGE, La. – More Louisianians can now apply for federal and state disaster assistance, as Tangipahoa Parish was added Wednesday to the major disaster declaration for Hurricane Isaac.
Homeowners, renters and business owners in Tangipahoa Parish may register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance and report their uninsured or underinsured property damage or destruction from the storm.
“We know there was significant damage in Tangipahoa Parish due to Hurricane Isaac and we want to help,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Mike Hall. “Survivors in the parish should register with FEMA so we can start getting assistance to the parish as soon as possible.”
In the week since the major disaster declaration for Louisiana, Individual Assistance (IA) has been made available in 11 parishes: Ascension, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John and St. Tammany, and now Tangipahoa.
Disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured individuals may include:
- Grants to help pay for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make a home habitable;
- Grants for serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance;
- Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Survivors can register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smartphone at m.fema.gov. Applicants may also call 1-800-621-3362 or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. If you use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
Tangipahoa residents affected by the hurricane should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.
Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if the person has registered with another disaster-relief organization or local community or church organization. FEMA registrants must use the name that appears on their Social Security card. They will be asked to provide:
- Social Security number
- Address of the damaged home or apartment
- Description of the damage
- Information about insurance coverage
- A current contact telephone number
- An address where they can get mail
- Bank account and routing numbers if they want direct deposit of any financial assistance.
For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, click www.fema.gov/disaster/4080 or www.gohsep.la.gov. You can follow FEMA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/femaregion6 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FEMA. Also visit our blog at www.fema.gov/blog.