The extension was agreed upon by Commonwealth and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials after reviewing the steady and consistent flow of new registrations throughout the last month. Since May 1, nearly 5,000 applications have been recorded by FEMA. To date, more than 33,000 residents or people doing business in Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk or Worcester counties have registered for some form of disaster assistance.

State and federal recovery officials said the steady volume of new applicants was not unusual for a flooding disaster. The original declaration anticipated a 60-day registration period ending May 28. However, severe storms and heavy rainfall continued to soak already drenched Central and Eastern Massachusetts counties through late April. Residents in designated counties with uninsured disaster-related damages occurring from March 12 through April 26 are eligible to request state-federal aid. Officials said experience shows flooding damage often reveals itself over time as buildings settle or persistent problems with mold and mildew emerge in warmer weather. In addition many homeowners are finding that uninsured or underinsured repairs or remedies are more costly than imagined. Disaster assistance may be available after insurance claims are settled and some losses remain uncovered.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties may apply for assistance by registering online 24/7 at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or 800-462-7585 (TTY) for people with speech or hearing disabilities. The toll-free telephone numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Multilingual assistance is available.

Any additional (non-emergency) questions can be directed to 211, the 24-hour hotline set up to provide information to Massachusetts residents affected by the flooding. The FEMA Assistance Fact Sheet (pdf file), Federal Aid Programs For Massachusetts Disaster Recovery, FEMA tips and MEMA on Recovery Assistance may also prove useful.

We are also told that it is very helpful to save any and all pictures, invoices, and receipts of bills paid due to storm related damage.

Hurricane Preparedness

• Information from the Massachusetts Department of Homeland Security concerning hurricane preparedness
• Information from the American Red Cross on hurricane preparedness

http://www.town.halifax.ma.us/hema.html
Produced by Charlie Seelig
This page last updated on August 8, 2010