If you’ve been impacted by the storm that hit the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta last month, you may be eligible for disaster relief money.
Eligible individuals, homeowners and business owners can receive aid. That’s after disaster declarations by both the state and the federal government. The aid can help pay for repairs, damages and temporary housing.
If your home or property was damaged in the storm, the first thing to do is take pictures and make a list of damaged or lost items.
Then, if you have insurance, file a claim. Neither FEMA or the state will pay damages covered by your insurance. After that, you can start applying for federal and state assistance. The two agencies are working together to get relief money out as fast as possible, so you can apply for both at the same time. To complete your application, you’ll need to provide basic identity and financial information.
FEMA and state programs only provide enough money to make a home safe and livable. FEMA may also direct you to apply for low-interest disaster loans through the Small Business Administration for additional relief. These loans are available to people whose homes were impacted by a disaster, even if they do not own a business.
For business owners, the loans can be used to repair physical damage to your business, or to help cover other economic losses caused by the storm. The key is to get into the system and fill out an application with the state and federal government as soon as possible.
To apply for state aid, call 844-445-7131 or visit ready.alaska.gov/IA.
To apply for federal aid, call 800-621-3362 or visit disasterassistance.gov. You can also download the FEMA mobile app.
For more coverage of the storm visit alaskapublic.org/weather.
