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RESOURCES FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY HURRICANE HELENE: FEMA AND SBA

By Carol L. O’Riordan, Pamela J. Bethel

This post provides information for those in the disaster zone about available resources and how to contact them. Please provide the information below to anyone that you believe may benefit directly, or who can distribute it to those in need. We will publish a separate post with information for those who are considering doing business with FEMA or who wish to contribute the response to Hurricane Helene.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), together with state and federal partners, is actively supporting Hurricane Helene response efforts and currently assisting communities in need due to the impact of Hurricane Helene through the Southeast United States.

  • FEMA is working with state partners to assess damage from the storm as quickly as possible.
  • FEMA continues to deliver critical supplies to impacted areas including meals, water, generators, tarps and other supplies and equipment.
  • FEMA is coordinating a federal force of over 7,000 personnel, each contributing their expertise to this mission.
  • FEMA and its partners are helping individuals and households and other programs to support disaster survivors.
  • FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, and certain types of private non-profits so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.

For all located in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance: there is a variety of help available for different needs. You may be eligible for:

  • Serious Needs Assistance. Money to help you pay for essential items such as food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies.
  • Displacement Assistance. Money to help with housing needs. If you cannot return to your home because of the disaster, this money can be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends, or other options while you look for a rental unit.
  • Other eligible expenses. This includes expenses from things like rental assistance, basic home repairs and property losses.

For more information, click here and here.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has additional resources for individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene.

  • Home Disaster Loans: Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster- damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.
  • Business Physical Disaster Loans: 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, private universities, etc., 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 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.

Applicants can apply online for a disaster loan OR call SBA at 800‐659‐2955 OR schedule an in-person appointment if they have any questions.

This blog is for educational purposes only. Nothing posted on this blog constitutes or substitutes for legal advice, which can only be obtained from a personal consultation with a qualified attorney. Using this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the authors and/or O’Riordan Bethel Law Firm, LLP. Although the authors strive to present accurate information, the information provided on this blog is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up-to-date. The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of O’Riordan Bethel Law Firm, LLP.