News Release

You Can Help to Move Your FEMA Assistance Request Forward

BATON ROUGE, La. — You can make a big difference in getting fast action on your FEMA application by providing all the information needed and then staying in touch. The state and FEMA rely on that information to process each claim.

When you register with FEMA, the facts you provide are used to determine what types of assistance you may be eligible to receive. When all the information is complete, FEMA is able to make a decision regarding your disaster aid.

There are a number of reasons flood survivors receive ineligibility letters and yet may qualify for assistance. For example, you may still need to:

• Return insurance information
• If you have flood insurance, contact your insurance company and ask for a settlement letter detailing exactly what is covered under your claim.
• Hand in the letter at a disaster recovery center or mail insurance settlement information to FEMA – Individuals & Households Program

   National Processing Service Center,

   P.O. Box 10055

   Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055.

• FEMA cannot provide money to individuals or households for losses already covered by insurance.

• Provide information to prove occupancy or ownership of the damaged property
• Utility bills, tax receipts, rental receipts are all proof you lived at the address.

• Fill out all necessary paperwork and update your contact information
• Answer all questions on the form.
• Let FEMA know each time you move or change a phone number:
• By going online to DisasterAssistance.gov;
• By calling 800-621-3362 from  6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily;
• Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Applicants who use 711 or Video Relay Service may also call 800-621-3362;
• By talking face-to-face with a specialist at a disaster recovery center. Find the closest one at fema.gov/disaster-recovery-centers or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362; or
• By downloading the FEMA mobile app.

• Complete and return the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loan application.
• Be sure to return the completed SBA loan application even if you choose to decline the loan.
• Filling out the loan application is a necessary step so you can be considered for additional forms of disaster assistance.

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Monitor DOTD’s www.511la.org website for updated road closure information. You can find the latest information on the state’s response at www.emergency.la.gov. GOHSEP also provides information on Facebook and Twitter. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. You can also download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

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. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

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/femaregion6 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 businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters 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 website at SBA.gov/disaster Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800- 877-8339.

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Federal Emergency Management Agency, Office of External Affairs 500 C Street, S.W, Washington, DC 20472 United States