(LEX 18) — If you live in Eastern Kentucky and your home or rental property sustained damage from July flooding, you have two more weeks to apply for federal disaster assistance.
Flood survivors in Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Owsley, Perry, Pike, and Whitley counties have until Friday, October 28 to apply for FEMA assistance, which covers rental assistance, temporary housing, home repairs, personal property losses, and other disaster-related needs not covered by insurance.
FEMA grants do not have to be repaid. It is non-taxable and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, or other federal benefits.
Survivors who sign up with the American Red Cross or other organizations are not automatically eligible for federal disaster assistance. You must apply with FEMA to be considered.
Flood survivors in the above counties can apply for FEMA assistance in the following ways:
- Visit a Disaster Recovery Center. To find an open recovery center, visit fema.gov/drc
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as a video relay (VRS), captioned telephone, or another service, give FEMA the number for that service
- Apply online by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov
- Use the FEMA mobile app
If you have been asked to complete a disaster loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration, FEMA says you should complete it as soon as possible. If SBA does not offer you a low-interest loan, you may be eligible for additional FEMA grant assistance to replace essential household items, replace or repair a damaged vehicle, cover storage expenses, or meet other disaster-related needs. The deadline for survivors to apply for an SBA disaster loan is Oct. 28.
Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA website at sba.gov/disaster. Applicants can visit a disaster recovery center, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
If you have homeowners, renters, or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your damage-related expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance. For more information, visit fema.gov/disaster/4663.
