FEMA extends registraion date

WACO - FEMA and the State of Texas are committed to helping all affected residents recover from recent flooding.

To do this, FEMA has approved Texas' request to extend the deadline by which individuals affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding between June 16 and Aug. 3 can register for disaster aid to Oct. 29.

"We want to make sure every Texan who needs disaster assistance to help recover has a chance to apply for aid," said State Coordinating Officer Joan Haun. "If you have not yet contacted FEMA and you suffered disasterrelated losses, please call as soon as possible."

"Applications for assistance continue coming in and we want to make sure everyone who needs assistance can get it," said Kenneth Clark, federal coordinating officer. "With 33 Texas counties now eligible for aid, FEMA feels it is important to give Texans additional time to register for aid."

FEMA encourages residents in all declared counties to register for aid as soon as possible.

Applications for assistance are processed as they are received; the sooner an individual applies for aid, the sooner assistance can be disbursed.

Even if an individual has contacted their insurance company, the Red Cross or another nonprofit, they need to contact FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply for federal aid. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments can call the TTY registration number: 1-800-462-7585.

"Even if you suffered only small losses, or if your insurance covered some but not all of your losses, you may be eligible for assistance," said Clark. "Disaster victims often fail to register because they think they won't be eligible for aid, only to learn after the registration period closes that they would have been eligible. By registering with FEMA today, affected Texans can prevent that from happening to them."

The deadline extension also applies to the submission of applications for disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Low interest, long-term loans are available to renters, homeowners, businesses of any size and private, nonprofit organizations.

Loans are available to qualified borrowers to cover losses to personal property, homes and business assets.

The 33 Texas counties eligible for individual assistance are: Archer, Bee, Bell, Brown, Burnet, Cherokee, Comanche, Cooke, Coryell, Denton, Eastland, Grayson, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Henderson, Hood, Lampasas, Llano, Medina, Nueces, Parker, Runnels, Smith, Starr, Tarrant, Travis, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Webb, Wichita, Williamson and Zavala.