Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be in Johnson County starting this week to help people impacted by tornadoes and severe storms on March 31.
FEMA on the ground in Indiana
Starting Wednesday, and over the next several weeks, FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance, or DSA, teams are going door-to-door in neighborhoods throughout Allen, Benton, Clinton, Grant, Howard, Johnson, Lake, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and White counties to help residents apply for FEMA assistance. Whiteland town officials said Tuesday they expect FEMA to physically be in the Johnson County area in the next few days this week.
DSA will be offering services such as, help registering with FEMA or updating an existing FEMA application, answers to questions about federal assistance, and connections to local, state, federal and voluntary agencies for additional support.
DSA teams will wear clothes with FEMA’s logo and have federal photo identification badges.
There is no charge for service. If anyone suspects fraud, they should report it immediately. People can call local police, the sheriff’s office or the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
Survivors do not have to wait for DSA to knock on their door to start applying for help. Those affected by the storms and tornadoes can go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, call 800-621-3362, or use the FEMA mobile app. The helpline is open and available from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. EST in most languages.
SBA to open business recovery center
Low-interest disaster loans from the SBA are available to businesses and residents in Indiana affected by the storms and tornadoes from March 31 through April 1, SBA announced in a news release Monday.
A Business Recovery Center will open at 9 a.m. on Friday at the Grace Assembly of God Church in Whiteland. SBA customer service representatives at the center can assist business owners and residents in filling out a disaster loan application, accept documents for existing applications, and provide updates on an application’s status. The center will remain open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until further notice. It will also be open on Saturdays starting April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size can borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.
Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.
Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 2.375% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.375% for homeowners and renters, with terms of up to 30 years.
