# Disaster  {#disaster .Facsimile-Line}

# News {#news .Facsimile-Line}

**tips To Speed FEMA AssistancE**

**Trenton, NJ-** The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
encourages residents and business owners who sustained losses due to the
severe storms and flooding in the New Jersey counties of Bergen,
Burlington, Essex, Passaic, Somerset and Union, to follow the tips
listed below to speed up the process when applying for disaster
assistance.

-   **Register by telephone or online as soon as possible**. Homeowners,
    renters, and business owners who had flood losses should call the
    Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) registration line at

> 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply for assistance. Individuals with
> hearing or speech impairments should call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. The
> lines are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily. You can also register
> online at www.fema.gov.

-   **Have information ready when you apply.** When you call FEMA, have
    the following on hand: your current address; the address of the
    damaged property; phone information; insurance information; and your
    social security number.

-   **Register, even if you are insured**. Your insurance coverage may
    not cover everything and some foundation damage may not show up
    until later. Even if you have insurance, you can register with FEMA
    and the State for uninsured losses.

-   **Remember, disaster assistance covers a wide range of flood
    losses**. Disaster-related damage or loss of personal property,
    anything from a wheelchair to a major appliance, may qualify for
    some form of federal/state assistance.

-   **Stay in touch and keep appointments** **after you have registered
    for disaster assistance**. A FEMA inspector will make an appointment
    to visit your home. A State inspector will also make an appointment
    to visit the damaged property. Make every effort to be at the
    damaged property for the visit and call if you need to change the
    appointment.

-   **Return all forms promptly**. After registering, you may receive a
    U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loan
    application package in the mail. Fill out and return these forms
    promptly or visit a Disaster Assistance Service Center for SBA
    assistance. ***Even if you aren't interested in a loan, complete the
    loan package and return it; as filling out the SBA application is a
    necessary step to being considered for other forms of disaster
    assistance.*** Flood victims are not obligated to accept an SBA
    loan.

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*FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for,
preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering
from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts
of terror.*

*Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race,
color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status
or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated
against, you should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or
contact your State Office of Equal Rights. If suspicious of any abuse of
FEMA programs, please contact the Fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.*

*FEMA's temporary housing assistance and grants for public
transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and
burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan.
However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them
to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal
property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage
expenses.*