Officials Urge Residents To Register With FEMA To Get Funds For Flood Damage
DETROIT (WWJ) -- Help is still available to Metro Detroiters affected by the severe flooding caused by torrential rains back in August, but the deadline to apply for federal help is quickly approaching.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already had more than 111,000 people apply for financial assistance with $170 million paid out to eligible recipients.
Adrianne Laneave from the U.S. Small Business Administration spoke live in studio with WWJ Newsradio 950 and said that no matter the extent of the damage, applicants could receive funding.
"If you've had any kind of damage the most important thing that you can do is to register with FEMA," Laneave said. The deadline to apply for financial assistance is set for November 24.
"Home owners can get loans that are up to $200,000 that can have an interest rate as low as 2.063 percent, with terms up to 30 years," "For those renters out there, you can get -- for your personal property -- up to $40,000. Again the interest rate can be as low as 2.063 percent for terms up to 30 years," Laneave said.
"Businesses can get up to $2 million with an interest rate that can be as low as 4 percent," Laneave added.
More than $61 million in state and federal assistance was in the hands of 65,000 residents within two weeks after the disaster declaration was announced, FEMA reports.
GALLERY: Metro Detroit Flooding – August
Those totals increased to $98 million and more than 100,000 residents benefiting from the FEMA grants and Small Business Administration low-interest loans after another two weeks.
"The first thing to remember is that we are a part of the process," Laneave said. "If you get that application, please complete it, return it back to us. Those people who we can get qualified for those loans, we're going to try to get you some money to help you in repairs. If you're not approved we're going to go ahead and deny you and it's that denial that will get you back to FEMA for additional grant consideration."
FEMA's Recovery Support Sites and Disaster Recovery Centers throughout the three-county area continue to offer registration services and opportunities for one-on-one information sharing.
To qualify for any of this assistance, renters must first register with FEMA online at www.disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362.