The FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center in Crisp County Will Close Saturday, February 18^th   

• The FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center in Turner County Will Close Wednesday, February 22^nd (see attached News Release and below)

o   Even if the center is closing, FEMA is a phone call, mouse click and FEMA app away.

o   FEMA and the state closely monitor traffic at all DRCs. When visits to a particular DRC is low or slows down, it indicates that the information needs in that community have been met.

• Colquitt County has been added to the Federal Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance (see below)

• FEMA Mitigation Outreach Teams at Lowe’s and Home Depot in Albany (see below)

• The FEMA Registration deadline is March 27th

Total FEMA Individual Assistance Registrations in all Federally Declared Counties :  5,487

Total FEMA Individual and Household Assistance Approved to date:       $2,596,266

o   Housing Assistance:           $1,729,000

o   Other Needs Assistance:       $867,265

FEMA Inspections:

o   Inspections Completed: 2,614

 Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans

o   SBA Referrals:  3,040

o   Application Received:  453

o   Applications Approved:  66

o   Loan Amounts Approved:  $2,493,800

Georgia Counties currently eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) Program

            (Assistance for Individuals and Households)

Dougherty, Cook, Wilcox, Turner, Crisp, Worth, Thomas and Berrien

Georgia Counties currently eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA) Program

(Assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities):

Baker, Brooks, Calhoun, Clay, Crisp, Dougherty, Early, Mitchell, Cook, Turner, Wilcox, Thomas, Worth, Appling, Brantley, Bulloch, Echols, Lowndes, Randolph, Tattnall, Upson, Ware,  Berrien and Colquitt.

To apply for FEMA Assistance call 800-621-3362 or visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov   

• If you have a speech disability, are deaf or hard of hearing, call (TTY) 800-462-758
• If you use 711 or Video Relay Service, call 800-621-336
• An individual may choose to receive SMS (Short Message Service) messaging during Registration Intake. This option allows them to have various notifications sent to their smart device regarding their FEMA application.

When registering applicants will be asked to provide:

o   Social Security number

o   Address of the damaged primary residence

o   Description of the damage

o   Information about insurance coverage

o   A current contact telephone number

o   An address where they can receive mail

o   Bank account and routing numbers for those preferring direct deposit of funds

FEMA Grant Assistance may be used for the following:

o   Grants to rent a temporary place to live.

o   Grants for essential home repairs not covered by insurance.

o   Grants for serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance — such as medical, dental, transportation, funeral expenses, moving and storage fees, personal property loss, and child care.

o   Low-interest disaster loans from U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance.

FEMA/STATE Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC)

• Open  Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

     Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

      Closed Sunday

           Worth County

Worth County Community Center

1310 N Monroe Street

Sylvester, Ga.

 

Turner County – Will Permanently Close on Wednesday, February 22^nd at 7:00pm

 Turner Civic Center

354 Lamar Street

Ashburn, Ga

Crisp County – Will Permanently Close on Saturday, February 18^th at 5:00pm

 Cordele Fire Department

112 Eddie Road

Cordele, Ga

 

SBA Business Recovery Center – (Will be closed for Presidents Day, Monday, February 20^th)

          125 Pine Ave

Albany, Ga

Open Monday – Friday  8:00am – 5:00pm

 

 

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams

 

o   Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams are canvassing and conducting outreach in many counties currently designated for FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program.

o   Using hand-held tablets, DSA team members can help survivors register for disaster assistance, update information on applications and make referrals to community partners.

o   Members carry FEMA photo IDs. If the photo ID is not displayed, ask to see it.

FEMA Contracted Housing Inspectors

• After you have registered, a FEMA contracted housing inspector will contact youwithin 10 days to make an appointment to view and document disaster damage.

 

• Inspectors do not determine an applicant’s eligibility for assistance.

 

• FEMA Housing Inspections are not the same as an insurance inspection.

 

• The applicant will be asked to provide documentation to the inspector.

o   Homeowners are asked to show proof of ownership such as a tax bill, deed, mortgage payment receipt or insurance policy with the applicant’s name, and the damaged property’s address on the documentation.

o   Renters must show proof of occupancy, a lease, rent payment receipt, utility bill or another document confirming the location was their primary residence at the time of the disaster. Both homeowners and renters must provide a valid driver’s license or other photo identification.

 

• Upon arrival, the FEMA inspectors will display official contractor photo identification. If the photo ID is not visible, it is important for survivors to ask to see it. This helps prevent fraud.

 

• FEMA’s housing inspectors verify disaster damage to the structure and building systems and major appliances enter the information electronically into FEMA computers. They do not need to document all damage.

 

• An inspection generally requires 20-45 minutes to complete the assessment. To speed the process, applicants should:

o   Keep their appointment or notify the inspector if a postponement is necessary.

o   Tell the inspector about other property losses or disaster-related needs such as transportation, medical or dental care, tools and equipment required by an employer (if not self-employed) and educational materials, so inspectors can relay the information to FEMA.

o   If possible, provide photos that can support the damage claims, at the time of inspection.

 

• What to expect from inspectors:

o   They have each applicant’s nine-digit registration number and will never ask for it.

o   They never require banking or other personal information.

o   They do not hire or endorse specific contractors to repair homes or recommend repairs.

 

• Disaster survivors with communication-related disabilities—those who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or have low vision and those with speech disabilities—may request reasonable accommodations to aid in communication. For instance, survivors may request an American Sign Language interpreter. Accommodations can be requested by calling (800) 621-3362.

 

 

   FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at:  866-720-5721

 

FEMA News Desk 202-805-8799  (For Media Inquiries Only)   FEMA’s website:www.fema.gov/disaster/4297 FEMA’s Twitter : @FEMAregion4 FEMA links to community resources, government directories and alerts: www.DisasterAssistance.gov   Links to access the FEMA Media and Graphics library:   FEMA Multimedia Library – Browse photos, videos & audio http://www.fema.gov/media-library/   Collection: FEMA Disaster Assistance Graphics Graphics that explain the disaster assistance process http://www.fema.gov/media-library/multimedia/collections/511