ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Thousands of homeowners in Florida who suffered damage from Hurricane Irma have applied to the federal government for financial aid, and thousands more are in the process.
A disaster recovery center opened Monday at the St. Johns County Administration Building, with Federal Emergency Management staff and other relief officials to assist residents register for help. The center will remain open until 6 p.m.
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From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, the same assistance will be available at the Prime Osborne Convention Center at 1000 Water Street, Jacksonville.
These centers, hosted by Sen. Marco Rubio, also features other government and community organizations, including the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and United Way. Some private insurance agents are also on hand to help those with private insurance.
People can apply for federal aid online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.
FEMA aid: What's it cover; how to apply
After you apply, a FEMA inspector will contact you to schedule an inspection. The inspection generally takes 30-40 minutes or less and consists of a general verification of your disaster-related losses and a review of ownership or residence records.
Once the inspection process is complete, your situation will be reviewed by FEMA. You will receive a letter by email or physical mail, depending on your preference, which that outlines the decision about your claim. For more information about the inspection process, and documentation you will need to provide the inspector, visit the FEMA Individual Assistance Inspection Process page.
All applications for aid must be received within 60 days of the disaster declaration.
Late last week, FEMA had received about 154,800 applications for assistance and had approved $21 million. Thousands more applications come in daily, a FEMA spokeswoman said.
The Small Business Administration offers low-interest disaster loans to eligible businesses and homeowners. As of last Thursday, it hadn't approved any loans yet for Hurricane Irma.
The federal government can also provide large-scale assistance. Congress has already authorized $15 billion in disaster aid for Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Lawmakers are still weighing aid packages for Florida and Georgia to help cope with Irma.