Those impacted by the flooding in Arkansas have just a few weeks left to apply for financial help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tiana Suber, a spokesperson for FEMA, says the deadline to register for disaster relief assistance is August 7.
"If you suffered from damages from the flooding in May, we do ask that – if you are underinsured or uninsured – that you will come down to one of our disaster recovery centers," Suber said.
There are five FEMA disaster recovery centers still open in Arkansas in Fort Smith, Mayflower, North Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Dumas. Flood-impacted Arkansans who lack full flood insurance coverage can also register online at disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
"People are getting confused about the insurance," according to Suber. "FEMA doesn't duplicate insurance, so if you have full coverage on your home and your property, and your insurance covers everything, then FEMA won't be able to help you in that way, because we don't duplicate insurance. But, if you are underinsured and you find out that you don't have flood insurance at all, or you find out that they don't cover everything, that's when you can also register for disaster aid.”
According to FEMA, the organization has given out more than $8 million in aid to over 1,700 people in Arkansas. FEMA aid comes in the form of grants which do not have to be paid back. The grants are meant to help with basic necessities while rebuilding begins. For those trying to fully recover from the flood, low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are available. Interest rates range between 4% for businesses to as low as 1.938% for homeowners on loans up to $200,000. According to the SBA, they have already approved nearly $11 million in loans to Arkansans for flood recovery efforts.
