SALT LAKE CITY – One month ago, President Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Utah in response to the Magna earthquake and its aftershocks. In that time, federal agencies have provided more than $600,000 in grants and loans to assist in recovery.
To date, 312 Utah residents have been referred for federal assistance and FEMA has paid more than $240,000 for home repair and rental expenses and other critical needs.
In addition, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $380,000 in low-interest disaster loans for Utah businesses, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters.
FEMA housing inspectors have completed more than 140 virtual inspections of homes damaged by the Magna Quake and aftershocks.
Residents who need legal assistance for earthquake-related issues but cannot afford an attorney can call the Disaster Legal Services hotline toll-free at 800-662-4245. The line is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attorneys are not FEMA employees. Their services are confidential, and they do not share information with FEMA.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) provides payments up to 26 weeks for workers who have temporarily lost their job because of the Utah quake disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits (for example, self-employed individuals). Apply at jobs.utah.gov/covid19 by August 17, 2020.
Utah residents who have uninsured or underinsured losses should register for assistance. You can do so online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Help is available in most languages. The deadline to register for federal assistance is September 8, 2020.
For more information about fixing damages, rebuilding, and preparing for the next earthquake, email FEMA-R8-HMhelp@fema.dhs.gov.
If you require a reasonable accommodation or an alternative format of available information such as American Sign Language format, or audio format, please submit your request to: Region8AccommodationRequest@fema.dhs.gov.
For more information on Utah’s recovery from the Magna Quake, visit, www.fema.gov/disaster/4548, or https://earthquakes.utah.gov/magna-quake/.