CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Are you a homeowner or renter whose home is uninhabitable or who lost valuables because of West Virginia’s severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides of July 28-29, 2017? It takes two steps to get possible federal help for these losses.
Step one: Apply for FEMA help.
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) or require accommodations while visiting a center, call 800-621-3362. The toll-free numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Help is available in most languages, and information on the registration process is available in ASL at fema.gov/media-library/assets/videos/111546.
- Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov (also in Spanish);
- Download the FEMA mobile app (also in Spanish), also available at Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Step two: Return a completed application for a low-interest disaster loan if you were referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) after applying with FEMA.
FEMA cannot make you whole, but they may help your recovery move forward by providing grants for basic repairs to make your home safe, sanitary and secure. They may also temporarily help with a place for you and your family to stay while you build your own recovery plan.
The SBA may contact you with information about low-interest disaster loans for homeowners and renters after you apply for FEMA help. There’s no obligation to accept a loan offer, but you’ll miss out on the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds for survivors if you don’t complete an application.
You may also miss out on FEMA grants to replace certain household items, repair or replace a damaged vehicle, and moving and storage costs. The only way FEMA can consider you for this help is if you submit a completed SBA disaster loan application.
Information about low-interest SBA disaster loans and application forms are available online at SBA.gov/disaster. You may also call 800-659-2955 or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. If you use TTY, call 800-877-8339.
For updates on the West Virginia response and recovery, follow the West Virginia Department of Emergency Management at www.dhsem.wv.gov on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WVDHSEM, and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WVDHSEM. Also see https://twitter.com/ReadyWV and West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters at https://wvvoad.communityos.org/cms/home.Additional FEMA updates on the West Virginia disaster are available at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4331.
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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.
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. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion3 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit 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 more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.