By Jessica Farrish
Nearly 1,000 residents in Raleigh and Wyoming counties have applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster grants in the wake of May 9 flooding that left those and three other counties declared as disaster areas.
Mingo, McDowell and Mercer counties were included in the declaration and residents in every county but Mercer are eligible for public and individual assistance, said Mike Sweet, spokesman for the Joint Field Office of Charleston.
Mercer did not qualify for individual assistance because there was not enough uninsured damage in the county to qualify for FEMA help, Sweet said.
As of Sunday, Sweet said, there had been 3,171 applications from individuals totaling about $6.5 million in approved grant money.
Of that, Sweet said, about $6 million had already been awarded to disaster victims. In Raleigh, 94 residents applied for grants; in harder hit Wyoming county, there have been 903 applicants.
There are two types of assistance — grants and loans, he said.
The maximum grant available is $30,300, he said.
Grants do not have to be repaid. They are used for temporary housing assistance, emergency, home repairs on the primary living space, to replace essential belongings like beds, refrigerators, telephones, radios or reasonably-priced televisions, and to have electrical wiring fixed, Sweet said.
The basic purpose of grants is to make sure the primary living area — which does not include garages and recreational basements — are safe, sanitary and secure, FEMA officials said.
“Disaster victims should call and register with FEMA,” Sweet said Tuesday. “They are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.”
The phone number is 1-800-631 FEMA.
Online registration is available at www.fema. gov, he added.
“In a week, you’ll get a call from an inspector to make an appointment,” he said. “You’ll get a package from FEMA explaining everything, and you may or may not get a loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration in the mail.”
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Everyone who receives an SBA loan application must fill it out and return it — whether they want a loan or not, said Carl Sherrill, SBA communications specialist.
If they do not fill out the loan application, their grant applications also are stopped, said Sherrill, adding that filling out the application is not a commitment.
If someone is ineligible for a loan, they will be referred to FEMA for other needs assistance, said Sherrill.
“If they are eligible for a loan, and they decline the loan, then we are probably not going to be able to refer them back to FEMA for that other needs assistance,” he added.
Businesses may be approved for up to $2 million, and real estate loans are granted up to $200,000.
Renters and homeowners may be granted loans of up to $40,000 to cover loss of personal property, Sherrill said.
“SBA also loans businesses funds to stay in business,” he added. “We’re going to loan up operating funds so you can continue in business.”
Other assistance programs include disaster unemployment assistance for those who may have lost their jobs following the flooding, including business owners.
The program is available through local unemployment offices.
Crisis counseling is also available through the state by dialing 211 to get a local number, said Sweet.
Mobile homes for people who need housing will be available this week, too.
Applicants should call the FEMA 800-number to request a mobile home, he added.
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Sweet said that survivors of disasters may encounter problems when they call FEMA to apply for assistance and report that they have “insurance.”
Sometimes, he said, applicants with homeowner’s insurance are eligible for FEMA aid, but may be turned down for benefits because FEMA officials believe their insurance covers flood-related loss.
To remedy that, he said, applicants should get a letter from their homeowner’s insurance agent explaining that their insurance does not cover loss of property due to flooding.
Sweet said applicants should take the letter to a recovery center or fax it to the help line.
“That should get the ball rolling again,” Sweet said.
Other common reasons applicants are notified they are ineligible for a loan include not returning an SBA application, they do not have receipts to substantiate a loss, there is no proof that the applicant owned the house at the time of the disaster or the losses claimed are not eligible for a grant or a loan.
— E-mail: jfarrish@ register-herald.com
