The December 22 deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance has passed, but help is still available for people affected by the July 25 - 28 flooding in St. Clair County. FEMA continues working with other federal, local and non-governmental agencies to support families and communities affected by the July 25-28 floods.

Stay in touch with FEMA.

You should notify FEMA of any additional damage discovered since your home inspection. And be sure to update any changes in your mailing or email address or phone number and the current status of your insurance settlements.

You can stay in touch with FEMA several ways:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
• By downloading and using the FEMA mobile app
• Calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

  • • If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. The Helpline is open seven days a week, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Press 2 for Spanish or 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language.

If you were referred to U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), be sure to complete and return the disaster loan application you received. You are not obligated to accept a loan if approved. If SBA cannot approve your application, in most cases SBA will refer you to FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for possible additional assistance.

Homeowners, renters and businesses who have applied for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration can follow up with questions at SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or by emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

If you have homeowners or renters flood insurance, you should file an insurance claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all of your damage expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

Homeowners and renters who applied for FEMA disaster assistance have the right to appeal FEMA’s eligibility decisions. Survivors who don’t agree with FEMA’s eligibility decision may file an appeal in writing within 60 days of receiving their letter, even though the application deadline has passed. Read your FEMA decision letter carefully. FEMA may simply need more information or documentation. Your FEMA letter includes instructions on how to appeal.  

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 833-285-7448. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).

For disaster updates from FEMA, follow @FEMAregion5 on Twitter, and turn on mobile notifications. Visit the disaster webpage at fema.gov/disaster/4676.

For disaster updates from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), follow @ReadyIllinois on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and turn on mobile notifications. http://www.illinois.gov/iema/ continues to be a go-to, single source to help Illinois residents easily find information and disaster-related resources.

Original source can be found here