Flood Disaster Assistance and Recovery Information

Press Release

Flood Disaster Assistance and Recovery Information

President Obama has declared an emergency for Rhode Island, authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance. Currently, residents in Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington Counties are eligible for several types of assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Assessments to justify Bristol County's inclusion in the federal disaster declaration are ongoing. Please click on the following links to view fact sheets on federal aid programs for Rhode Island disaster recovery and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Affected residents and business owners can begin the disaster application process by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EDT. The application takes about 20 minutes to complete. Applicants should have on hand a pen and paper, social security number, insurance information, financial information (gross total household income), and contact information (name, permanent address, phone number). Residents of Bristol County are encouraged to apply for this assistance as well. Those applications will then be processed if the President's disaster declaration is expanded to include Bristol county.

The SBA Customer Service Center can answer questions regarding the SBA loan application process. The SBA Customer Service Center can be reached by calling 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov . More information about SBA's Disaster Loan Programs is available online at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance . The filing deadline for applications for physical damage to homes, personal property, and businesses is May 28, 2010. The filing deadline for applications for economic injury is December 29, 2010.

While the resources listed above will assist Rhode Islanders in long term planning, many will require immediate emergency assistance for things such as residence flooding, power outages, and shelter. For immediate emergency assistance please contact your local fire department. You can view a list of fire departments in Rhode Island by clicking here.

FEMA has also confirmed that "application procedures for local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating agencies."

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