Seven additional counties designated for individual assistance; Colquitt is not one of them

Oct. 17--ATLANTA -- Homeowners, renters and business owners in Crisp, Grady, Lee, Mitchell, Terrell, Thomas and Worth counties may now apply for federal disaster assistance for uninsured and underinsured damage and losses resulting from Hurricane Michael. Baker, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Miller and Seminole counties were previously designated for Individual Assistance, bringing the total to 13 counties in the state of Georgia.

If you have damage from Hurricane Michael not covered by insurance, register for federal assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).

Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs.

When applying for assistance, please have the following information ready: social security number, daytime telephone number, current mailing address as well as the mailing address and zip code for the damaged property and insurance information if available.

After registering for disaster assistance, you may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In times of disasters, the SBA offers low-interest loans for businesses, homeowners and renters. There's no obligation to accept a loan, but you may miss out on the largest source of federal disaster recovery funds if you don't submit an application.

Information about low-interest SBA disaster loans and application forms are available online at SBA.gov/disaster. You may also call 800-659-2955 or email [email protected]. If you use TTY, call 800-877-8339.

Be sure to contact your insurance company to file an insurance claim. FEMA does not duplicate insurance payments. However, you may still receive help after your insurance claim has been settled.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, in partnership with FEMA, continues to provide resources to those affected by Hurricane Michael. Joint damage assessments are ongoing in the state, and additional counties could be added at a later date depending on the results of those assessments.

For more information about Georgia's recovery, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4400.

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