Hurricane Sally FEMA Relief Update: Small Business Consulting Service

The President has approved the request by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the wake of hurricane Sally for a FEMA Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance.  The declaration allows anyone in Pensacola and greater Escambia County impacted by Hurricane Sally access to critical FEMA programs, including housing assistance, crisis counseling, disaster unemployment assistance, Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance, disaster legal services and case management.  Individuals and businesses must apply for assistance under the Individuals and Households Program.

FEMA provides grant money and services to people in the declared area whose property has been damaged or destroyed and whose losses are underinsured or not covered by insurance. To file a claim for assistance, you must first register with FEMA in one of the following ways:

Call 1-800-621-3362 (TTY# 1-800-462-7585) Multilingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.

Register online at www.disasterassistance.gov, enter your location and click on “Apply Online”

Download the FEMA app on your mobile device and register using the app.

Applicants can begin registering within a few hours after a declaration is issued. FEMA will verify eligibility and need before assistance is offered. By law, FEMA assistance cannot duplicate the assistance you receive from your insurance company, but you may receive assistance for items not covered by insurance.  Also note that FEMA does not offer assistance for your secondary home.

For additional details on Federally Declared Disaster Area Losses, read our recent blog article here.

Additional State and Local Resources.

The State Department of Economic Opportunity and Florida’s Division of Consumer Services are other important resources to investigate. The Division of Consumer Services, for example, has a resource center website called PrepareFL containing several useful links for businesses and individuals. The DEO, meanwhile, is encouraging those impacted to complete their resource survey as a way for the State to quickly assess and direct you to the best available help.  For more information on these two websites, click on our recent blog article.

Anglin Professionals Are Available For You

To clients and friends impacted by the storm, please reach out to any of our professionals regarding questions about storm-related losses and your ongoing financial or tax planning.  Contact our Pensacola office at 850-438-3622.