CHRISTIANSTED – Survivors affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria are encouraged to register before the January 8, 2018 deadline with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for disaster assistance.
FEMA assistance may include grants to help homeowners pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs and serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.
Survivors may also be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) which offers assistance to homeowners, renters and businesses after a disaster.
January 8, 2018 is also the physical damage deadline to submit the SBA disaster loan application.
“We want survivors to receive all the assistance they are eligible for,” said Federal Coordinating Officer William Vogel. “Assistance is not available unless you register.”
Those without connectivity can visit one of the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) located throughout the islands. DRC specialists can provide face-to-face information about disaster assistance and help with registration.
SBA staff are also available to assist with completing and submitting SBA disaster loan applications. DRC’s are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
St. John Locations
o Cruz Bay at the U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature, St. John Annex, 1D Cruz Bay
o Coral Bay at the Town & Country Building, 8-1 Estate Emmaus
St. Croix Locations
o Christiansted at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 38-44 Castle Coakley
o Frederiksted at the Rotary Club West, 40 KA-KD Estate LaGrange
o Christiansted at the Old Post Office Building at Church and Company streets
St. Thomas Locations
o Charlotte Amalie at the former Scotiabank, 81 CC&DD Kronsprindsens
Gade
o Charlotte Amalie at Tutu Park Mall, 4605 Tutu Park Mall, Suite 233
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 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS – Video Relay Service)
(TTY: 800-462-7585). Multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish).
FEMA said its mission is to support 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.”
Following major disasters, the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the primary source of Federal funds for long-term recovery assistance. This assistance is in the form of low-interest loans and is available to non-farm businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, as well as homeowners and renters with property damaged by the disaster.