Issue 3
|
Colorado Flooding, Severe Storms, Mudslides, and
Landslides
|
October 16, 2013
|
This E-News Update is created
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Private Sector Function
operating out of Colorado. The E-News Update includes information on federal
and state resources available to help Colorado homeowners, renters, business
owners and their employees recover from the flooding, severe storms, mudslides and
landslides that were federally declared a major disaster on September 14, 2013.
We welcome your comments, questions, and topics of interest.
To be added to the
distribution list, put “SUBSCRIBE” in the subject line to Kendra.Eull@fema.dhs.gov, Brandi.Briones@fema.dhs.gov or Chad.McCormick@fema.dhs.gov. To unsubscribe, write “REMOVE” in the subject
line.
Federal Assistance as of October
15, 2013
• Registrations for Individual Assistance (IA) $25,074
• Approved IA $43.2 million
• U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans
approved $23.2 million
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in a
designated county can apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or via web-enabled phone at m.fema.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 (use option 2
for Spanish, 3 for other languages) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711 Relay or Video
Relay Services may call 1-800-621-3362.
The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a
week until further notice.
Please visit Designated Counties for more information on this specific
disaster. For a guide on FEMA Individual Assistance and other types of aid, visit
Disaster Assistance .
The following
counties are designated for IA: Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Clear Creek, El
Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan, and Weld.
For more information on
counties designated for Public Assistance (PA).
Determination Letters Must Be
Read Carefully
An applicant who has received a determination
letter of ineligibility should be sure to read the entire letter to find
out why. In some cases, all the applicant needs to do is send FEMA a copy of
the private insurance determination letter before the FEMA grant application
can be processed.
Other reasons for a determination of ineligibility include:
·
The applicant did
not sign the required documents.
·
The applicant did
not prove occupancy or ownership.
·
The damage is to
a secondary home or a rental property, not a primary residence.
·
Someone else in
the household has also applied for and received help.
·
A FEMA housing
inspector cannot reach the applicant by phone.
·
The applicant did
not maintain the required flood insurance coverage for the damaged property.
Applicants who receive a
determination of ineligibility letter can call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585 or visit a Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) to find out how to appeal this decision, submit any required
documents or make changes to contact information.
Public Assistance Hotline
Open for Private Nonprofit Organizations
FEMA and State Public
Assistance (PA) have a toll-free hotline to provide guidance related to PA
policy and eligibility. This hotline offers guidance for other FEMA entities,
the State of Colorado, local governmental applicants, and interested private
nonprofits that provide services of a government nature.
This hotline is NOT
for the general public. Individuals should continue to call 1-800-621-3362.
Local governments and other Public Assistance applicants are
encouraged to use their FEMA Public Assistance Coordinator (PAC) once assigned,
as their primary source for inquiries.
The PA hotline – 855-282-5706 – is operational 7 a.m. to 5
p.m. Monday through Saturday.
SBA Loans Help Homeowners and
Renters, Not Just Businesses
Don’t
let the word "business" in the name U.S.
Small Business Administration (SBA) fool you. The SBA is a primary source of
federal funds for long-term recovery of homeowners or renters.
The
SBA's low-interest disaster loans of up to $200,000 can help qualified
homeowners repair or replace damaged real estate. In addition, renters and
homeowners may get up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged personal
property. In both cases, these SBA loans are only for damages not covered by
insurance.
After
registering for federal assistance with FEMA, an applicant may automatically
receive an application in the mail from SBA. Open it and complete the forms inside.
It's a critical step in the recovery process. Whether or not one wants a
low-interest loan, if he or she does not return the SBA application, the
applicant may miss out on other assistance from FEMA.
Applicants
must return the SBA loan application to be considered for other FEMA
grants that cover personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving
and storage expenses. Applicants do not need to repay these FEMA grants.
Applicants
do not need to return the SBA application to be considered for
eligibility for temporary housing assistance and FEMA grants for public
transportation, medical, dental or burial expenses.
SBA
customer service representatives are available to issue or accept low-interest
disaster loan applications and answer questions at all Colorado/FEMA DRCs.
FEMA Mitigation Outreach -
Free Advice on Rebuilding Stronger, Safer, Smarter
To help
limit damage from future severe weather, FEMA
mitigation specialists will be stationed in several locations to provide
free rebuilding information Thursday, Oct. 17 through Tuesday, Oct. 22.
The Home Depot
1600 29th
St.
Boulder, CO 80301
|
The Home Depot
393 S. Hover Road
Longmont, 80501
|
ACE Hardware
561 Lone Pine
Drive
Estes Park, CO
80517
|
ACE Hardware
2626 11th
Avenue, Unit A
Greeley, CO 80631
|
Hours
of operation: Thursday – Saturday
8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.to 5 p.m.; Monday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday 8
a.m. to 4 p.m.
National Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP)
As a business owner, protecting your building and your contents is vital
to its survival. Only flood insurance covers flood damage. Visit your insurance
agent for assistance on obtaining a flood insurance policy.
Follow
Up-to-Date News
Colorado Division of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management support the needs of local government and
partners with them before, during and after a disaster. The division enhances
preparedness statewide by devoting available resources toward prevention,
protection, mitigation, response and recovery, which will ensure greater
resiliency of Colorado communities.
For more information: Twitter
@COEmergency, Facebook: COEmergency, www.coemergency.com
and www.CORecovers.info
Follow FEMA online at twitter.com/femaregion8, www.facebook.com/fema,
and www.youtube.com/fema.
Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate's activities at twitter.com/craigatfema. The social media links provided are for reference
only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or
applications.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first
responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and
improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover
from, and mitigate all hazards.
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 800-621-FEMA
(3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.
The U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for
the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps
homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations
fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or
disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not
fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate
benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA
programs, applicants can go to www.sba.gov/disaster
or call (800) 659-2955 (TTY 1-800-977-8339).
