Deadlines for FEMA Assistance Programs Extended

From a State of Tennessee Press Release

Governor Phil Bredesen today announced Tennessee has requested and received a 30-day extension of deadlines for FEMA assistance programs that will assist individuals in the 46 counties eligible for Individual Assistance as a result of the extreme weather and flooding that struck the state April 30 – May 2.

“I’m extremely pleased people will have more time to register to get the help they need as Tennessee recovers from these historic and devastating floods,” said Bredesen. “I appreciate the support Congressman Jim Cooper, members of the Tennessee delegation and FEMA have provided as we’ve worked in partnership to assist affected Tennesseans.”

FEMA has approved the state’s request to extend the registration deadline for Individual Assistance to August 5, 2010. Disaster survivors in the counties designated for Individual Assistance may apply online anytime at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA HelpLine at 800-621-3362 (FEMA) or (TTY) 800-462-7585 for those with speech and hearing disabilities. Assistance is available in all languages.

Two other deadlines have also been extended:
• The deadline for filing a proof-of-loss statement under the standard flood insurance policy from FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has been extended for an additional 30 days. Proof-of-loss is usually required within 60 days from the date of loss. This extension provides policy owners an additional 30 days to file.
• The deadline to submit a loan application to the U.S. Small Business Administration has been extended to August 5, 2010.
Filing an SBA loan application is a key part of the FEMA registration process. While no one is required to take out an SBA loan, a loan denial may open up other opportunities for assistance to an applicant. To date the SBA has approved nearly $89 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations.
In Tennessee, 63,633 people have registered for Individual Assistance, and FEMA has approved more than $141 million in aid to individual households in Tennessee.
The federally declared counties that have been approved for Individual Assistance are: Benton, Carroll, Cannon, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Crockett, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Dickson, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Giles, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion, Perry, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Wayne, Williamson and Wilson.
Affected individuals must register with FEMA to receive federal disaster assistance. Filing damage reports with state or local county emergency managers or voluntary agencies will not start the process.