What Kentucky Storm Survivors Can Do Now That The Registration Deadline Has Passed
While the disaster assistance registration deadline has passed, there is still help available for survivors of severe storms that occurred between Feb. 27 and March 14, 2021. Survivors are part of the whole community effort. The steps you take on the road to recovery and the decisions you make are very important.
You may do the following:
Stay in Touch with FEMA – If you registered for disaster assistance, stay in touch with FEMA. The easiest way to update your application, check your status or provide missing information is to create an account at DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. local time. Multilingual operators are available during those hours (press 2 for Spanish). Those who use a Relay service, such as a videophone, Innocaption or CapTel should provide their specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA can contact you. Phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number.
Follow Up on U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans – Businesses and individuals may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded at sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Find out more at SBA Loans for Disaster Recovery | FEMA.gov
Appeal FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Determination Letter – if you are found to be ineligible for disaster assistance following the severe storms, or you feel the award amount is not enough, you have the right to appeal. Read your determination letter carefully to understand why the decision was made and how you can receive the assistance you need. For more information, contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). Find out more at How to Appeal a FEMA Disaster Assistance Decision | FEMA.gov
If you don’t have internet access or need services not found on the website, you may call the FEMA Helpline to:
- Add or change household members and number of occupants
- Update contact preferences (mail, email, text, etc.)
- Update payment preference
- Notify FEMA of a change in your current address
- Correct or verify home and property damage
When calling, you should provide your nine-digit registration number, which can be found on all communications from FEMA.
Recovery Progress – Federal Assistance Tops $32 million for Kentucky Survivors
- FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has paid more than $19.4 million in flood insurance claims in Kentucky. A total of 634 claims have been submitted. A major disaster declaration is not required for flood-insurance claims, which may be submitted from any county.
- For losses not covered by insurance, FEMA has approved more than $6.8 million in Individual Assistance disaster grants for Kentucky homeowners and renters. Grants may help survivors with rent, home repairs, home replacement and other disaster- related needs such as personal property, childcare, and medical and dental expenses. More than 1,150 households have been approved.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved 134 low-interest disaster loans for more than $5.7 million.
Videos about FEMA Assistance with closed captioning and American Sign Language interpretation available here.
For more information on Kentucky’s disaster recovery, visit https://kyem.ky.gov and www.fema.gov/disaster/4595. You may also follow FEMA on www.facebook.com/fema and Twitter @FEMARegion4.
Note: This is the final Recovery Update for the Kentucky Storms.