Hurricane Matthew federal aid deadline set for Monday

Wilson Daily Times (NC)

Jan. 04--Nearly two-dozen Wilson County families displaced by Hurricane Matthew have spent the last three months holed up in hotels, but the federal aid used to pay for their lodging is set to expire Saturday.

The 23 families in transitional housing are expected to make other living arrangements and could seek help from state agencies and local nonprofits, said Shirley Tracey, a spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"People are supposed to be pursuing other options during that three months," Tracey said. "That's the ideal situation so they don't find themselves on Jan. 7 with no place to go at all."

While Saturday looms large for those evacuees, FEMA officials want to spread the word about another deadline. Monday, Jan. 9 is the final day for Matthew survivors to register for federal disaster assistance from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Tracey said all Wilson County residents who sustained storm damage to a home, vehicle or business should complete the application process -- even those who have flood insurance and believe they'll be fully covered.

"We encourage them to sign up," she said, "because often, the insurance isn't adequate, but often you don't find out until after the deadline and it's too late to come back to FEMA when you find out you're underinsured."

While FEMA won't duplicate insurance payments, registering for assistance preserves a survivor's ability to qualify for federal funding in the event that insurers don't pay.

When neither private insurance nor FEMA cover a disaster survivor's full losses, Shirley said survivors may qualify for a low-interest loan from the Small Business Administration. The agency provides loans for individuals as well as business owners and applications can be coordinated through FEMA.

Roughly $86 million in federal disaster aid has been earmarked for North Carolina in Matthew's wake. The hurricane hugged the state's coastline Oct. 8-9, drenching eastern counties with more than a foot of rain that caused rivers to spill from their banks and flood low-lying areas.

In Wilson County, which was included in President Barack Obama's federal disaster declaration, the storm claimed two lives, caused 230 water rescues and resulted in 2,500 emergency calls for service over a three-day span.

As of Dec. 29, FEMA had approved $853,568.27 in disaster assistance for more than 530 Wilson County survivors, including $433,273.39 in housing assistance and $420,294.88 for other needs, according to Shirley.

Some Matthew survivors left homeless after the hurricane will receive manufactured housing units commonly known as "FEMA trailers," though the agency does not use that term. The manufactured homes are offered rent-free for up to 18 months and survivors are only required to pay utilities.

FEMA selects families for the manufactured homes based on their disaster assistance applications; survivors cannot apply for the program.

Shirley said 95 North Carolina families, including 20 in Edgecombe County, have been selected for the mobile homes. Only one has been occupied to date.

While FEMA is "in the final stages of registering people" for disaster aid, Shirley said the federal agency will be working with Hurricane Matthew survivors for months and years to come.

"It still takes months and months -- sometimes even years -- for it to be completely finished," she said. "FEMA will be here for a very long time working with communities in one way or another."

To file an application for federal disaster assistance, call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or visit www.disasterassistance.gov. Those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability are asked to call 1-800-462-7585.

cfriedman@wilsontimes.com -- 265-7813

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