State officials are asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to extend the deadline to apply for individual assistance, but they still are urging Vermonters harmed by July’s flood to get their applications in as soon as possible.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Vermonters in nine eligible counties have until Sept. 12 to apply to FEMA for individual assistance for losses incurred due to July’s flooding event.
The state is asking FEMA to extend the application deadline to Oct. 12. FEMA coordinating officer Will Roy said at a Wednesday press conference that the agency will provide a “very prompt response” to the state’s request.
“Please, please don’t wait. Get your applications and information into FEMA now, before it’s too late,” Gov. Phil Scott said at the same event. “If you’ve already applied and believe you should get more, you can and should appeal to FEMA. That’s also the case if your costs have increased since you made your original claim.”
Roy said that once Vermonters hear back from FEMA on their application, they have 60 days to file an appeal.
Vermonters can receive financial assistance to cover losses such as damages to one’s home — including flood damage to essential equipment such as washers, dryers and furnaces — and rental assistance for an alternative home if their current home is uninhabitable due to flood damage. Both renters and homeowners can apply.
Or, Vermonters can apply if they’ve suffered other financial damages because of last month’s adverse weather, such as the loss of their car, unemployment, unforeseen medical expenses and more.
Vermonters can apply to FEMA for individual assistance online at disasterassistance.gov, on the FEMA app, by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or by visiting one of FEMA’s nine Disaster Recovery Centers located in the state.
Vermonters can also apply for low-interest disaster loans through the Small Business Administration. Those loans can assist not only businesses that suffered flood damages, but Vermont residents, homeowners and landlords, as well. The deadline to apply for SBA loans to cover physical damages is Sept. 12, and the deadline to apply for loans to cover economic injury is April 15, 2024.
State officials have stressed that, even if Vermonters are unsure they can take on more debt, they should still apply for an SBA loan before the deadline if they are considering it; they can always decline the loan once it’s approved.
