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.
Residents affected by severe weather earlier this year only have two more days to apply for disaster relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Wednesday is the last day for eligible Indiana residents affected by the March 31 to April 1 storms and tornadoes to register for federal assistance, including Johnson County residents. FEMA officials are encouraging those who were affected by the storms and live or own a business in Allen, Benton, Clinton, Grant, Howard, Johnson, Lake, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan or White counties to register as soon as possible.
Assistance available includes 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, according to FEMA.
Wednesday also is the last day that the agency’s Disaster Recovery Centers, which are designed to help residents with submitting documents in person to speed the application process along, will be open. The three centers, including the one located at 999 N. Front St., Whiteland, will permanently close on Wednesday, officials say.
Residents don’t need an appointment to visit the center, and survivors from any designated county can visit any center.
Applying for aid
Residents who sustained losses can apply for federal assistance three different ways:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov for the Individuals and Households Program.
- By phone at 800-621-3362. TTY users can call 800-462-7585; 711 or Video Relay Service users can call 800-621-3362.
- Downloading and using the FEMA App
- In person at the Whiteland Disaster Recovery Center, 999 N. Front St., from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Friday, and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday. Closed on Sundays.
The FEMA helpline will be available from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
To apply for assistance, residents need the following information:
- Address with zip code
- Condition of the damaged home
- A general list of damage and losses
- Insurance information, if available
- Social Security number
- Banking information, if they choose direct deposit for funds
- Phone number where they can be reached
- Address where they can get mail or an email address for electronic updates
Appealing a decision
If a resident wants to appeal a letter saying they are ineligible for disaster assistance, they should read the letter carefully to determine why, officials say.
Within 60 days, they should gather the documents requested, write a letter to explain why they’re appealing, then submit the documents, letter and cover page from the determination letter through one of the following ways:
- Mail to FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-7055
- Fax to 800-827-8112 (Attention: FEMA)
- Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov and click “Apply Online”
- Bringing the documents to a Disaster Recovery Center by June 14
