HATTIESBURG, Miss. – FEMA grants are helping hundreds of Mississippi families recover from the Jan. 21 storms and tornadoes, but you might have neighbors, friends or family members who may need help and have not yet registered for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Common misconceptions about registration may have discouraged survivors in Forrest, Lamar, Lauderdale and Perry counties. However, they should register with FEMA as soon as possible before the March 27 deadline even if they have insurance or have previously registered with another disaster-relief organization.
While FEMA can’t duplicate benefits from insurance, explain to them that they should still register even if they’re insured as help may be available for under-insured or uninsured losses. Sometimes damage is found that insurance won’t cover but federal disaster assistance may. To begin the process, your neighbor has to register with FEMA. This is the first step in the recovery process and required for federal aid.
If someone you know is still waiting for a visit from an insurance adjuster or for an insurance settlement, tell them to go ahead and register with FEMA before the registration deadline because the settlement might come after the deadline has passed.
Friends or neighbors should go ahead with necessary repairs to make their house livable and be sure to keep receipts and other documentation for all work.
Some friends, neighbors or family members may believe they make too much money to apply for assistance.
Most federal and state disaster assistance programs are available to individuals of all income levels. The types of help provided depend on each applicant's unique circumstances and unmet needs. The aid is to help individuals and communities come back as quickly as possible from a disaster.
Sometimes survivors think they do not have enough damage to their homes to apply for assistance.
The damage caused by storms and the costs associated with repairs or rebuilding may not be apparent for some time. By registering with FEMA now, they may be eligible for assistance if they find damage later.
Assure friends, neighbors or family members that FEMA disaster assistance will not interfere with federal assistance they are already receiving. FEMA assistance is nontaxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid or other federal benefits.
Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. Register online at DisasterAssistance.gov.
To support survivors, disaster recovery centers are open in Forrest County at the C.E. Roy community Center, 300 E. 5th Street, Hattiesburg and at Petal Civic Center, 712A South Main Street, Petal. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
FEMA recommends survivors register prior to going to a center, but representatives are available to assist with registration.
For more information on Mississippi’s tornado recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4295 or visit the MEMA site at msema.org. Follow MEMA on Facebook facebook.com/msemaorg and on Twitter @msema.org.
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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.
All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).