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Kentucky Disaster Survivors:
Get the Facts about Disaster Assistance
Following a disaster, survivors may hear inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information about disaster assistance. The Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge Kentuckians affected by the May storms and flooding to get the facts. Here are some of the most common questions about assistance, with answers from KYEM and FEMA.
Will FEMA give me enough money to make all the repairs I need to make because of storm and flood damage and to replace all my property that was damaged or destroyed?
It's important to have realistic expectations. By law, FEMA grants are limited to making a home's essential living space safe, sanitary and secure and to helping pay for disaster-related losses of essential personal property. This usually will not be enough to cover the entire loss.
If I reported my damages to my county emergency manager, am I registered with FEMA?
You still need to call FEMA's toll-free registration number at 800-621-FEMA 3362,
TTY 800-462-7585 or apply online anytime at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
I have insurance. Should I still register for aid?
FEMA may be able to help you with disaster-related costs that your insurance does not cover. The only way to find out what may be available is to register with FEMA. You will be asked about your insurance when you register and you may eventually need to provide FEMA with a letter from your insurance company stating what part of the loss insurance covers. FEMA isn't allowed to duplicate payments an applicant gets from another source, such as insurance payments.
I already repaired my home. Am I eligible for help?
By registering, you still could qualify for reimbursement of money you spent out of your own funds for repairs. It is helpful, but not required, to have photographs documenting the damage and receipts for money spent for repairs.
I didn't spend much for repairs. Is there a minimum amount of damage I have to have to get federal assistance?
The damage has to be more than $50.
Is there an income threshold for disaster assistance?
FEMA assistance is available without any income test.
I could register for assistance, but isn't it better to leave the money for people who need it more than I do?
FEMA has sufficient funding to cover all eligible losses. You are not depriving anyone else of help by registering yourself.
Why are FEMA funds referred to as a grant?
Money received does not have to be repaid and is tax-free. Loans from the SBA must be repaid. The FEMA grant is not counted as income or a resource in determining eligibility for welfare, income assistance, or income-tested benefit programs funded by the federal government. However, you must keep receipts or bills for three years to show how all of the money was used in meeting your disaster-related needs.
Can I apply for assistance for my damaged car?
Yes. You will need to provide proof of ownership and insurance information. You may need to complete an SBA application first to see if you qualify for a low-interest loan.
Can I apply for assistance for food that has been lost because of the disaster?
No. Food loss is not covered by FEMA. Voluntary organizations may be able to help you with food needs.
Will any program pay for moving and storage expenses?
Costs of moving and storage may be covered, if these costs are directly related to the disaster. Submit receipts to see if they are covered. Again, you may need to complete an SBA application first to see if you qualify for a low-interest loan.
Is there any assistance for renters?
If you are a renter and had to move to another dwelling because of the disaster, you may qualify for temporary rental assistance. Keep any receipts and include that information when you register. You also may apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the Small Business Administration for personal property losses.
I don't understand why I've received a loan application from the Small Business Administration . I don't own a business, so why was this loan application sent to me?
In federally declared disasters, SBA loans are not just for small businesses. Low interest disaster loans from the SBA are the nation's primary source of assistance to help homeowners, renters, non-profit organizations and businesses of all sizes rebuild and recover. SBA disaster loan interest rates are as low as 2.437 percent for homeowners and renters, and 4 percent for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based upon each applicant's financial situation.
I don't want a loan, but I received a loan application in the mail from the Small Business Administration. Why should I complete that SBA form if I don't want a loan?
Applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to the SBA to be considered for FEMA grants that cover personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses. If SBA determines you are ineligible for a loan, it will refer you back to FEMA to be considered for grants to help with your disaster-related personal property losses, vehicle repair or replacement expenses or with moving and storage expenses. If SBA offers you a loan, you will not be eligible for these additional FEMA grants. You are not obligated to accept a loan.
Officials from KYEM and FEMA already looked at my property and asked me questions. Doesn't that mean I'm registered?
You may have seen representatives of local, state or federal agencies during damage assessments. The ONLY way to register for assistance from FEMA is to call 800-621-FEMA 3362, TTY 800-462-7585 or apply online anytime at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
I'd like to apply for help from FEMA but I'm afraid it will affect my Social Security or other government benefits. Should I be worried?
FEMA grants do not affect eligibility for any other benefit program or the amounts received from other programs. The grants are not reported to the IRS as income.
FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters.
State Association's Leaders Say WKUs Floodplain Management Program A Key Addition To An Important Field
The perfect storm for floodplain management in Kentucky may have formed about three years ago.
That’s when the Kentucky Association of Mitigation Managers (KAMM) was formed to promote floodplain management and mitigation statewide and Warren Campbell, a nationally certified floodplain manager, joined the Department of Engineering at Western Kentucky University with a vision to create a floodplain management program.
When Campbell arrived at WKU in 2004 after serving as city hydrologist in Huntsville, Ala., he became just the seventh nationally certified floodplain manager (CFM) in Kentucky. Now thanks to the efforts of KAMM and WKU’s floodplain management minor, Kentucky has 46 CFMs.
“We’re pleased that WKU established a floodplain management minor,” said Taylor Duncan, KAMM’s current chair and floodplain manager for the city of Olive Hill. “Students aren’t learning just the engineering of flooding, they’re learning about the policy issues of flooding.”
WKU launched the nation’s only floodplain management minor in 2006. In the 2006-07 academic year, 14 WKU students passed the national CFM examination.
“KAMM’s goal is to increase awareness of floodplain management in the state,” said Carey Johnson, KAMM’s immediate past chair and an employee of the state Division of Water. “This program gives students the opportunity to study and experience all aspects of floodplain management.”
While Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast showed the impact of widespread flooding, Campbell and Johnson noted that flooding is an issue everywhere and especially in Kentucky, which ranks behind only Alaska in the number of streams and rivers.
Flooding causes numerous deaths and disaster declarations each year in Kentucky and nationwide.
“The thing that’s important about floodplain management is the only time government disaster assistance is available is after a presidential declaration,” Johnson said. “The small floods affect people too.”
Nationwide, 20,472 communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. Kentucky has 365 communities in the program.
“People get caught up in property damage, but floodplain management and mitigation is designed to save lives,” Duncan said. “It all comes back to public safety.”
Demand is growing for floodplain managers, Campbell said. FEMA is spending $1 billion on flood map modernization and California passed a $4 billion bond issue for flood mitigation.
Besides preparing for the national CFM exam, WKU students are participating in numerous floodplain management activities such as topographic surveys for watershed modeling, watershed monitoring along the U.S. 31W Bypass, assessing flood risks in Bowling Green and modeling stormwater injection wells.
“Floodplain management is not taught in the classroom,” Campbell said. His vision for the program includes a “traveling classroom” for students to visit flood sites in Kentucky and nationwide.
“We’re hoping WKU’s program is a steppingstone to a major in floodplain management or for courses offered at other universities in the state,” Johnson said. “It’s a very important field.”
Duncan, Johnson and other KAMM representatives visited WKU on Jan. 17 to present Glasgow senior Aaron Wallace with a $500 scholarship. Wallace, who passed the national CFM exam, also is the 2007/2008 recipient of the $2,000 Nick Winters Scholarship, a prestigious national award from the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM).
For more about WKU’s floodplain management minor, visit http://www.wku.edu/engineering/ce/floodplainminor/floodplain.php
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