A sign set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency outside of the disaster recovery center in Whiteland. The center opened to help victims of the March 31-April 1 storms and tornadoes, where people can apply for help from FEMA and the Small Business Administration.
One month after violent storms tore through Whiteland and other parts of the county, residents impacted by disaster have a new way to find long-lasting help.
A disaster recovery center opened in Whiteland Thursday. Recovery specialists from Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state of Indiana and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available at the centers to help with disaster relief applications, answer questions and provide referrals to resources.
“We want to make them whole again. Coming from a disaster, it’s devastating. The bottom line is to get them where they were and better,” said Delvonnie Burgess, public affairs specialist in the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “Their lives have been ripped together. We’re going to put them together again.”
The center will make it easier for people to apply for assistance in a variety of ways, as FEMA and the Small Business Administration work hand-in-hand to help victims of natural disasters, said Craig Browning, external affairs officer with the Incident Management Assistance Team for FEMA Region 5.
“The main reason is to give a centralized place where survivors can come and speak one-on-one with FEMA personnel and our friends from the SBA. We can’t do our job without the SBA, and it’s a true partnership,” he said. “This is the place where everybody comes together.”
The disaster relief center is the fourth to open in Indiana following the storms and tornadoes of March 31 and April 1, joining those in Morgan, Lake and Sullivan counties. More are expected to open, according to FEMA.
Having those centers are critical to making sure assistance is best suited for individual households or businesses, Browning said.
“We want to hear their stories,” he said. “Let’s say we’re neighbors. Your situation is different from my situation. Your needs are going to be different from my needs. You can’t get that from a phone call or a computer. FEMA and the SBA need to know your story.”
When people come into the disaster recovery center, they must register with FEMA, Burgess said. Once they do that, they’ll be directed to a representative of the Small Business Administration to fill out an application.
They’ll need proper identification, and must have a cell phone with them, Burgess said.
Victims of the storms are eligible to receive FEMA help in a variety of ways. They can get assistance to rent temporary housing if their homes were damaged and being fixed. If they’re staying in a hotel temporarily, the agency can help with reimbursement for that as well, in addition to assisting with home repair, home replacement and direct housing.
To be eligible for FEMA help, people need to live in a presidentially declared disaster area; have a member of your household who is a United States citizen, a non-citizen national or a qualified alien, and have necessary expenses or serious needs as a result of the disaster that are not covered by insurance, or you filed an insurance claim but your benefits are not enough to cover your expenses.
Before applying for FEMA benefits, they need to have filed an insurance claim, Bunting said.
“Once that occurs, once they’re in the system, that opens the door to several different resources they have,” he said. “From FEMA’s standpoint, we’re here to jumpstart your recovery. SBA is to finish that up, when it comes to funding.”
The Small Business Administration offers a variety of low-interest loans for homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits. These loans help cover disaster-caused damage or mitigation to help prevent future storm damage. People do not need to own a business to apply for a disaster loan.
Rates are as low as 4% for businesses, and 2.375% for homeowners.
“When people hear ‘the Small Business Association,’ they think it’s just businesses. But it’s not just businesses; it’s homeowners and renters and nonprofits,” Burgess said.
How to apply for disaster assistance
Visit a Disaster Recovery Center: Go to 999 N. Front St., Whiteland. Center hours are 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday–Friday, and 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday. Closed on Sundays.
Internet or Smartphone Application: Disaster survivors may apply for the Individuals and Households Program or check their application status at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Disaster survivors may also access FEMA via smartphone by downloading the application from www.fema.gov or through their mobile provider’s application store. People can apply for Small Business Association help at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov.
By Phone: Disaster survivors may call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 to register for assistance or check their application status. Disaster survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use a Text Telephone (TTY) may call 800-462-7585. Disaster survivors who use 711 or VRS (Video Relay Service) may call 800-621-3362.
The deadline to apply for federal assistance is June 14, 2023
What to expect after you apply
Local residents can more easily navigate the FEMA assistance process by keeping some important steps in mind:
Don’t wait to start cleanup. Take photos of any damage, make a list of your losses and keep all receipts to verify expenses caused by the disaster.
File an insurance claim. Insured applicants must provide their insurance settlements or benefit documents to FEMA before being considered for federal assistance.
Register with FEMA. Homeowners and renters in Johnson County with uninsured damage caused by the March 31-April 1 disaster are encouraged to apply for FEMA disaster assistance. Apply by vising the disaster recovery center at 999 N. Front St., Whiteland, or by going online at DisasterAssistance.gov, using the FEMA mobile app or calling 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.
Prepare for the home inspection. Typically, after you register, you will be contacted by a FEMA inspector to schedule an appointment. Be sure to answer the phone. The inspector’s phone number may be from out of state or show up on caller ID as “unavailable.”
Information to gather for the inspection. Be prepared to show the inspector your photo identification; proof of ownership or occupancy; a list of household occupants living in the home at the time of the disaster; all disaster-caused damage to the property; and your insurance policy. If you’re insured for the disaster-caused damage to your property, you may have to submit insurance documentation to FEMA before an inspection can be scheduled.
Meet with the inspector. The inspection includes looking at disaster-damaged areas of your home and reviewing your records. If the inspector does not show you FEMA identification in the form of a badge with a photo, do not proceed with the inspection
Post-inspection. You will receive a letter explaining FEMA’s eligibility decision within 10 days after the inspector’s visit. Be sure to read it closely; it may explain additional steps needed to continue with the process. If you are determined eligible for assistance, you may receive a U.S. Treasury check or direct deposit based on what you selected during your application.
To learn more about the inspection process, visit our website at www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/after-applying/home-inspections. The deadline to apply for federal assistance is June 14, 2023
— Information from FEMA
