DEADLINE: Friday Last Day to Apply for RI FEMA Aid

Nearly 2 months after Rhode Island was hit with historic flooding, FEMA has announced today as  the last chance for residents to register for federal aid. Here's more from FEMA…

WARWICK, R.I. – Today is the last day Rhode Islanders affected by the Floods of 2010 have to request federal assistance. Homeowners, renters and businesses must register with FEMA and submit SBA disaster loan applications postmarked before tonight, or miss out on federal disaster aid.

Call FEMA now at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or at TTY 1-800-462-7585 for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. FEMA Helpline hours are from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. (EDT); help is available in all languages. FEMA also offers online registration at www.fema.gov. You have until midnight May 28 to register. However, even if you miss the deadline you can still call FEMA to find out the status of your application, work to resolve problems or appeal a decision.
FEMA grants may cover alternative housing, minor home repairs, and/or replacing essential household items not covered by insurance. Other types of grants may be available to Rhode Islanders to help with medical, dental, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs, but they must register with FEMA no later than midnight, May 28, 2010.  

SBA disaster loans help homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster damaged personal property and business assets. These loans may cover insurance deductibles, code-required upgrades and other costs not compensated for by insurance or other sources. However, the SBA application must be postmarked before midnight May 28, 2010.

For more information about returning a disaster loan application, call the SBA Customer Service Center from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1-800-659-2955 . Residents also may apply online at http://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/,  visit the SBA Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance  or         e-mail disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.