CHARLESTON, W.Va – FEMA and the federal Small Business Administration have boots on the ground in West Virginia to help residents recover from this summer’s flooding.
A Federal Disaster Declaration is in place for Kanawha, Harrison, and Fayette counties, and FEMA has Disaster Recovery Centers in place in all three counties.
“Everybody’s situation is a little bit different, so we encourage people that if they would like to meet somebody in person, please come to the recovery center. All of our experts are here to talk with people, to listen, and find out how best we can help them,” FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Mark O’Hanlon said.
Centers are currently in place at GoMart Ballpark in Charleston, Bridgeport City Hall, and the Armstrong Volunteer Fire Department. Pop-up DCRs are planned in the Fayette County communities of Robson and Pax in the coming days.
The SBA is working alongside FEMA, as well as at the Charleston Area Alliance office, to help affected residents enroll in its disaster relief loan program.
“You are eligible if you had physical damage and you are a homeowner, a renter, a business owner, or a non-profit. You can get help from the SBA loan program,” public affairs specialist Patty Hartman said on 580 Live with Dave Allen.
Those loans are designed to assist with recovery and remediation. Additionally, business owners in contiguous counties are eligible for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
“If a business had trouble getting its supplies from a primary county or to a primary county and suffered economic losses as a result, they could apply for the EIDL loan program,” Hartman said.
Loans from the SBA are interest-free for the first year and can be paid back over a 30-year period. Interest rates begin at three percent for homeowners and four percent for businesses.
“We’re not trying to burden somebody that’s already been negatively affected by a disaster. We’re trying to help them recover in as feasible a way as possible.”
FEMA grants do not need to be repaid and are meant to help with a variety of issues, including recovery, medical expenses, and displacement coverage. O’Hanlon has seen West Virginia’s independent spirit firsthand but still encourages people to reach out for help.
“What I ask people to do is just please realize that we will absolutely support you the best way that you want your recovery to go, but if we can offer that little bit of extra financial help that can get you to where you want to be, please come and see us,” he said.
Applications for FEMA aid must be submitted by December 7, and federal assistance is available for 18 months following the grant. O’Hanlon said that allows for additional help as recovery goes on.
“The contractor will open up a wall to do some work and find out that there might be damage that no one had seen before, but we can send an inspector to come back out and do a supplemental inspection and provide additional financial support to that family so they can be supported for this entire 18-month program,” he said.
Renters are eligible for FEMA assistance in addition to homeowners.