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SEAN MICHAEL SHAW
Insurance Consumer Advocate

FEMA – Why you should register for assistance

During the “No Name” rain storms in May 2009, Floridians who live in Volusia, Flagler, Baker, Clay or Putman Counties saw first hand the quick action taken by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to disburse funds to help families in need of assistance.

During the 2009 hurricane season, Floridians can expect that same type of response should we get hit by a major hurricane and receive a Presidential Disaster Declaration. The first response will come from our State and Local governments, voluntary relief groups and other forms of assistance, such as insurance. However, FEMA will be working with state officials to assess the damages as quickly and safely as possible.

Should the level of damage warrant, the Governor may request the President to declare the area a “major disaster.” Once the declaration is issued, communities will see FEMA officials move quickly into the area and establish Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) at existing or replacing State Essential Services Centers. These are one stop locations where all disaster relief organizations will gather.

While the FEMA recovery program provides financial assistance and service to individuals and families for basic expenses, your flood and homeowners insurance is the primary source for recovery.

We recommend that you register for FEMA assistance and contact your insurance company in the event of a major disaster event. If your insurance settlement is delayed more than 30 days, or if you need immediate additional living assistance, you may be eligible for an insurance advance from FEMA. However, FEMA assistance is not intended to repair your property to its pre-storm condition. It is only to provide assistance to ensure that you and your family have a safe and sanitary place to live until your permanent residence is habitable. You should beware that an insurance advance is a loan and it must be repaid upon receipt of your insurance settlement.

Immediately after a major disaster event, you may not think that you have a need for FEMA assistance or qualify for FEMA assistance. However, your circumstances may change during the recovery process. In the aftermath of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, many Florida families were out of their homes for a year or longer and exceeded their homeowners’ insurance policy additional living expense limit. If these families had registered with FEMA immediately after the storm or within the registration period, they could have resubmitted their request to FEMA and may have been eligible for monetary assistance, even after an initial denial. For this reason, FEMA encourages everyone in a major disaster area to register for assistance immediately after the event or within the registration period (60 days from the date of the event). Every family in a major disaster area is eligible to receive up to $30,300 in federal assistance regardless of income level.

When applying for FEMA assistance it is important to remember that applicants must meet specific criteria for various types of disaster assistance. For example, an applicant may apply for the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, but not meet the income level or other qualifications for an SBA loan. In this type of situation, their application will be automatically referred to FEMA’s Individual and Household grant program.

FEMA provides more than just housing assistance. They provide disaster-related moving, storage, clothing, household items, medical, dental, funeral and other expenses that are deemed necessary and authorized by law. FEMA also assists renters with additional rental expenses and the replacement of essential belongings.

We hope that you never find yourself in a declared major disaster area, but if you do - please know that FEMA will be ready to help you. To learn more about FEMA, please visit their website at http://www.fema.gov  or call (800) 621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800- 462-7585 for the hearing and speech-impaired.

If you have any questions about your insurance coverage or the claims handling process, please call your insurance company or Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services’ Helpline at (850) 413-3089, 1-877-MyFLCFO (693-5236) or 1-800-22-STORM.