More than 900,000 households have applied for federal disaster assistance, but there are only three weeks left to apply for damages related to Hurricane Ian. Survivors whose primary residence is in one of the 26 counties designated for federal disaster assistance for Hurricane Ian are encouraged to apply.
Homeowners, renters, and business owners need to submit their application by Jan. 12 to be considered for disaster assistance under the Individuals and Households Program. Survivors should apply to FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA may provide assistance to eligible survivors who have uninsured disaster-related damage or loss.
Those affected by Hurricane Ian and have insurance are encouraged to first file a claim with their insurance for disaster-related damages to their homes, cars, and businesses before they apply for FEMA assistance. Survivors can apply with FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. The toll-free number with multilingual operators is accepting calls daily, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Survivors can also register at any Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) throughout Florida’s disaster-damaged counties. To find a nearby location, go online to: DRC Locator.
The Jan. 12 deadline also applies to applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 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 nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.
FEMA's Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance grants for medical, dental, and funeral expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants referred to SBA must complete and submit an SBA loan application to be considered for additional forms of disaster assistance. Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan may be referred back to FEMA to be considered for Other Needs Assistance. The SBA Disaster Customer Service Center’s number is 800-659-2955. Help is also available by sending an email to: disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov. Survivors may apply online at SBA's secure website: disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/.
Businesses that have not yet submitted an SBA disaster business loan application may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ under SBA declaration #17644. Businesses, homeowners, renters, and non-profits may visit the Business Recovery Center or Disaster Recovery Center for help in submitting an application or in seeking reconsideration of their loan decision.
Disaster loan information and application forms can be obtained from the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Jan. 12, 2023. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 29, 2023.
For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian and Nicole, visit floridadisaster.org/info and fema.gov Follow FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.
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