By Carmen Rodgers
Elmore/Autauga News
Representatives with FEMA are in the storm ravaged areas meeting survivors where they are to help victims begin the recovery process following the Jan. 12 severe storms and tornadoes.
Disaster Survivor Assistance (DSA) teams from the EMA are going door-to-door in impacted areas to help those affected apply for assistance through FEMA. DSA personnel with FEMA are clearly identifiable by their attire and federal photo identification badges. FEMA representatives will not ask for money or bank account information. This service is free of charge.
Homeowners and renters in Autauga, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Sumter, and Tallapoosa counties who had uninsured losses from the Jan. 12 storms may be eligible for federal disaster assistance. FEMA may provide financial help with temporary housing expenses, basic home repairs and other essential disaster-related needs.
There are three ways to apply. Visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App for mobile devices, or all toll-free 800-621-3362. The helpline is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Disaster Recovery Centers are open in Autauga County at Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief Center, located at 118 Jesse Samuel Hunt Blvd In Prattville. In Elmore County the center is at the historic Elmore County Court House, located at 100 E. Commerce Street In Wetumpka. (Editor’s Note: The last day of operation for the Disaster Recovery Center in the historic downtown courthouse will be Sunday, February 5, 2023 at 6:00PM. Survivors can still apply for disaster assistance at disasterassistance.gov, by using the FEMA mobile app, or by calling 800-621-3362. The helpline is open, and help is available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time in most languages. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.)
In Dallas County it is in the parking lot of Crosspoint Christian Church, located at 1710 W. Dallas Avenue in Selma. In Coosa County it is at Rockford Baptist Church, located at 9575 US Hwy. 231 in Rockford. A Disaster Recovery Center has also been established in Hale County at Akron Volunteer Fire Station, located at 181 First Avenue South.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Business Recovery Centers are open in Autauga, at the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce, located at 131 N. Court St., and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The other U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Business Recovery Center is in Dallas County at the GTC Administrative Building, located at 2300 Summerfield Rd., and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Alabama disaster survivors who apply for FEMA assistance will receive a letter from the government organization. This letter will explain your application status and how to respond. For questions or concerns about the letter, call the disaster assistance helpline at 800-621-3362. FEMA representatives will help figure out what information is needed.
Renters may also apply for a grant under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program. This program is aimed at assisting uninsured essential personal-property losses and other expenses related to the disaster.
Applicants who applied for assistance but do not agree with FEMA’s decision, or the amount of assistance granted, have a 60-day window of opportunity to submit an appeal letter with supporting documentation of their claim.
The Alabama Department of Labor recently announced that individuals who are unable to work as a direct result of the storms in impacted counties could now qualify for unemployment assistance. Visit https://labor.alabama.gov/news_feed/News_Page.aspx?id=3487 to see if eligible.
A free legal help hotline is also available now for those impacted by the storms. The hotline can connect survivors to free legal services in counties that qualify and who cannot afford legal representation. To reach the hotline, call 334-517-2250.
To view an accessible video on how to apply visit Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube.
FEMA recovery centers are open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for those impacted by the severe storms. Walk-ins are welcome and no appointment is needed.
• To date FEMA has approved more than $3.5 million in grants to homeowners and renters
• Distributed more than $2.8 million in housing assistance
• Distributed more than $600,000 in Other Needs Assistance
• To date, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $1.2 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners and renters
• Eight Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are working across eight designated counties
