BATON ROUGE, La. — Renters and homeowners in parishes designated for FEMA assistance after Hurricane Laura have until Oct. 27 to register for help.
Federal assistance includes help for temporary housing, rental assistance and repair or replacement of damaged property.
Additionally, grants may be available to help with other expenses such as medical and dental care, childcare, funeral and burial costs, replacing essential household items, moving and storage, vehicle repairs and cleanup.
To see if you live in a designated parish, visit: https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4559/designated-areas.
For more information or to register for assistance:
- Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585).
- Visit disasterassistance.gov/.
- To find a drive-thru Disaster Recovery Center (DRC), text 43362 and type DRC and your ZIP code (for example DRC 12345).
- To receive a link to download the FEMA app:
- Apple devices: text APPLE to 43362
- Android devices: text ANDROID to 43362
- Visit fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/app
- Call 211 or text 527435837 to 898-211. For Louisiana evacuees that are now out-of-state, please call 337-310-4636. To get support, this number also is valid for TTY out-of-state users.
- Those who use a relay service such as a videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel should update FEMA with their specific number assigned to that service.
SBA low-interest disaster loans are available for businesses of any size and certain nonprofits up to $2 million for property damage. For small businesses, those engaged in aquaculture, and most private nonprofits can borrow up to $2 million for working capital needs even if there is no property damage.
Homeowners can borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace a primary residence. For homeowners and renters, up to $40,000 to replace personal property, including vehicles, is available.
Businesses and residents can apply online at www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance or email FOCWAssistance@sba.gov. For assistance completing an SBA application, call 800-659-2955. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339 or email FOCWAssistance@sba.gov.
To schedule an appointment to meet with an SBA customer service representative please call the SWLA Economic Development Alliance at (337) 433-3632. The center will be open Mondays - Fridays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is located at:
Calcasieu Parish
SBA/Business Recovery Center
Southwest Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center
Willis Noland Conference Center, Second Floor
4310 Ryan St.
Lake Charles, LA 70605
Hurricane Laura survivors with home repair questions should contact FEMA mitigation outreach at 866-579-0820 or at fema-mitoutreach-4559@fema.dhs.gov Monday-Saturday, 8am to 6pm CDT. To view mitigation resources visit https://fema.connectsolutions.com/lauramit/.
For the latest information on Hurricane Laura, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4559 or follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6.