The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Recovery Center will return to Auburn late this week to continue to assist individuals and business owners affected by this year’s Missouri River flooding.
Officials from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) were at Auburn City Hall Friday-Saturday, Sept. 16-17 and Monday, Sept. 19. After spending three days in Falls City, officials will return to Auburn Friday-Saturday, Sept. 23-24 and Monday, Sept. 26.
Sept. 23 hours are 1-7 p.m. Sept. 24 hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 26 hours are 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
As of mid-afternoon, Sept. 19, officials have disbursed $1,245,220 in assistance to 894 registrants in 11 counties, said Cheri Huber, assistant external officer/JIC. The counties included are: Boyd, Burt, Cass, Dakota, Dixon, Douglas, Knox, Nemaha, Richardson, Sarpy and Washington.
Individuals and business owners in Nemaha and Richardson counties became eligible to apply for assistance for damage and losses after both counties were added for Individual Assistance to the major disaster issued by President Obama Friday, Aug. 12 for flooding between Tuesday, May 24-Monday, Aug. 1.
Officials encourage registering online at 1-800-632-3362 or visiting www.disasterassistance.gov before going to the Disaster Recovery Center. Tuesday, Oct. 11, is registration deadline.
Huber said that once individuals come to the center and register, it is determined what assistance they are eligible for, then they are sent to a representative from the SBA at the center and complete an application.
“Even if they don’t want or qualify for an SBA loan, we still ask them to complete an application. They need to do financial application through the SBA,” Huber said.
Renters and homeowners may be eligible for low-interest SBA loans; rental assistance; medical payments; grants for housing repair and replacement of personal property.
“They need to come and register even if they cannot get to their residence. As long as they’re registered before the (Oct. 11) deadline, an inspection will be scheduled when the inspector can get to the residence,” Huber said.
Owners of area businesses which have sustained economic injury are encouraged to apply, and to indicate how they have been affected by the flooding, including cash flow, profit loss and if they are a seasonal business. A loan for operating expenses may be structured to help them recover, she said.
For individuals only, Huber said that if they apply for assistance and are turned down, they may be referred back to FEMA officials to determine if FEMA officials may offer individuals additional grant aid.
“We encourage them to get into the system. That way, they can be identified easily. We can work with them on other aid and SBA loans,” she said.
Several types of SBA disaster loans are available:
–Home disaster loans, to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate or personal property owned by the victim. Renters are eligible for their personal property losses, including automobiles.
–Business physical disaster loans, to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches and private universities are also eligible.
–Economic injury disaster loans (EIDL), working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes to meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period. EIDL assistance is available only to entities and their owners for their own recovery from non-government sources, as determined by SBA officials.
For more information on SBA loans, contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955; emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit SBA’s website at www. sba.gov. Hearing impaired individuals may call 1-800-877-8339. Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.