To report damages to your home, please call the Flood Damage Hotline at 1-877-212-0316 or fill out the Flood Survey.
ND Road Conditions are available on the NDDOT website; always learn about road conditions before traveling during a flood. North Dakota Travel Information is also available from any phone by dialing 511.
If your area was affected by a disaster, FEMA officials suggest you register for disaster assistance available even if you are not sure you qualify. This statement comes in response to nearing deadline in Cullman County, Alabama, where FEMA’s Nate Custer told the Cullman Times, “…Even if you are uncertain if you need or qualify for assistance, it’s important to register.”
The Importance of Registering
It is common for people who live in a disaster-affected area to believe that they do not qualify for assistance because they do not find any immediate problems with their homes or because they are able to live with friends or family members. However, homeowners often find damage within weeks of a disaster. Likewise, living arrangements with loved ones sometimes do not work out well. FEMA deadlines allow you to register yourself so you are in the system in the event you need to file a claim or ask a question.
FEMA often has resources available to those who experienced a disaster and register on time. For example, Custer states that FEMA can help a family secure a rental unit while their home undergoes the restoration process. Additionally, manufactured homes are available as a temporary living solution based on preference or if rental units are not available. Additional services include homeowner grants and business loans from the Small Business Association. However, an individual must register with FEMA by the deadline to access such services.
Where to Register
While FEMA often has physical sites where residents can register for assistance, individuals can also register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or over the phone by calling (toll-free) 1-800-621-3362.
Even if you think you are not eligible for disaster assistance, register and find out for certain. The funds provided by FEMA can help you recover from a flood or another disaster so your life can get back to normal.
June 4, 2011 was a devastating morning for buildings surrounding a vacant building at 816 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Over 100 firefighters fought a four-alarm fire that sent six to the hospital and torched neighboring businesses. Of the Prospect Heights businesses affected by the fire, two include a coffee shop and a cell phone retailer.
The Coffee Shop
Struggling to make ends meet, the young owner of the coffee shop thought she could save some money by not paying her commercial insurance bills. She discussed this option with her parents, from whom she sought advice, and they convinced her that this was a bad idea. She took their advice and paid the bills. While the damage to the coffee shop seemed minimal, the expenses to replace the windows the firefighters broke, the water damage clean up and the smoke damage and recoverycould have easily tanked this business if the owner did not have the proper insurance coverage to pay for the restoration services.
The Cell Phone Retailer
While it had the proper insurance coverage, the cell phone retail store suffered a massive amount of water damage, which poses a potential moldhazard. The building needs large-scale restoration and the owners do not know the status of their store’s structural integrity. Therefore, the owners do not know when they can open for business again. In an interview for the website Prospect Heights Patch, the shop owner stated, “It’s like you wake up one morning and you don’t have a business anymore. Devastated. That’s exactly how you feel. It’s a hardship, we have families, we have newborns to feed, and then you have to deal with this.”
What was missing for the cell phone storeowners was a business continuity plan—a plan that outlines how to keep a business going in an event such as this. Fires, water damage and natural disasters are among the top killers of small businesses when the owners do not have a plan to recoverbefore an incident occurs. While one cannot always prevent a disaster from happening, one can prevent the need to suffer through the hardships that may follow.
The Wallow Wildfire in Arizona has consumed an area half the size of the state of Rhode Island. The dry trees, low humidity and abundant winds create the perfect environment for this wildfire to thrive, which has burned for the last two weeks.
In a press release today, FEMA announced that Kentucky business owners directly affected by the April 22 to May 20 storms, tornadoes and floods might be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). The DUA is a special unemployment compensation program for those who do not qualify for standard unemployment assistance through their state.
Assistance Eligibility
If you are a Kentucky business owner, in order to qualify, one of the following situations must apply to you:
You cannot run your business because of the floods, storms or tornadoes.
You cannot reach your business because of “disaster-related travel disruptions.”
You cannot work because you sustained a disaster-related injury.
You cannot operate your business or work because the storms damaged your building.
You live or own a business in one of the 17 Kentucky counties eligible for Individual Assistance through FEMA and the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management.
Disaster Assistance Filing Dates
June 24, 2011: for Boyd, Crittenden, Graves, Hardin, Hickman, Jefferson, Marshall, McCracken, Livingston, Union and Webster counties
To be determined: for Ballard, Daviess, Henderson, Lawrence, McLean and Pike counties
FEMA states:
“Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks are available for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the storms and who don’t normally qualify for unemployment insurance benefits, such as farmers and self-employed individuals.
“Applications can be submitted at a local Office of Employment and Training. When filing a claim, self-employed individuals should bring a copy of their 2010 income tax return. Other applicants need a photo identification card and their Social Security number.
“Joint damage assessments continue in other counties and additional counties may be added for IA. Residents that suffered storm and flood related damage are encouraged to document and photo the damage and keep any repair receipts. Please report any damage to your local emergency management.”
Without a business continuity plan, a storm can shut down your operations for good if you are not prepared. Your continuity plan should also include what to do after a storm.
