TWO WEEKS LEFT TO APPLY FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE

AUSTIN, Texas – Only two weeks remain for homeowners, renters, and business owners who suffered damages from Hurricane Ike and live in one of the 34 counties designated for federal and state assistance to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

State and federal officials are urging anyone who still needs to register to do so before the registration deadline of Nov. 12.

"The deadline is only two weeks away and we don't want anyone with disaster damages to miss this opportunity for assistance," said State Coordinating Officer Joan Haun. "Register, get into the FEMA system and let’s find out what you are eligible for."

There are two ways to register: log on to www.fema.gov or call FEMA’s toll free number, 1-800-621-3362, or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing impaired. Both numbers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice. Residents should register only once; duplicate registrations may cause delays in the delivery of assistance.

Before calling or registering online, residents should have in hand:

1. The address of the affected property;
2. A brief description of the damages;
3. A current address where they receive mail;
4. Social Security number;
5. Insurance information including policy numbers; and
6. A phone number and an alternate phone number where they can be reached.

"The Nov. 12 deadline is coming up quickly," said Federal Coordinating Officer Sandy Coachman, "If you know someone who was affected by Hurricane Ike, please encourage them to take a few minutes to register with FEMA and learn how we can help them."

Disaster assistance may include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repair and other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or other sources.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) also has a deadline of Nov. 12, and provides low-interest disaster loans to cover the uncompensated losses for personal contents up to $40,000 for both homeowners and renters and up to $200,000 for homeowners for physical damage to their primary residence. The SBA also provides low-interest loans up to $2 million for uncompensated physical losses suffered by businesses of any size and private non-profit organizations. Additionally, working capital loans are available for economic injuries sustained by small businesses in the declared counties and the adjoining counties. The combination of the two business loans cannot exceed $2 million. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 1-800-659-2955 (TTY 1-800-877-8339).

Designated counties include: Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Cherokee, Fort Bend, Galveston, Gregg, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, Waller, and Washington.

More information is available online at www.fema.gov or www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

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FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

The 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 uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call 800-659-2955 (TTY 800-877-8339). Homeowners, renters and business owners with questions for the SBA should call the Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955).