Issue 1
DR-4068-FL
Tropical Storm Debby
July 20, 2012
State Emergency
Response Team
Tropical Storm Debby
Recovery Update
This update was created by the Florida State Emergency Response Team
(SERT) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It includes
information on state and federal resources available to help Florida survivors
and business owners recover from Tropical Storm Debby.
Please forward this newsletter to your
employees, members and other contacts
who may find the information helpful in their
recovery.
Please send questions/comments to Phil.Strouse@fema.dhs.gov.
To subscribe/unsubscribe, contact the email address above.
F ED E R AL
AS S I S T A N C E A P P R O VE D TO D AT E :
(Close of Business July 19, 2012)
 FEMA assistance to individuals and families:
 SBA low-interest disaster loans:
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$14 million
$1.4 million
A PPL Y
FOR
FEMA D I S AS T E R A SSI ST A N C E
Often, the first step to recovery is making sure your employees are ready and able to come back
to work. Whether homeowners or renters, if they have disaster-related damages or losses in any
of the 22 Florida counties designated for Individual Assistance, they are encouraged to register
with FEMA as soon as possible.
Counties designated for Individual Assistance include: Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay,
Columbia, Duval, Franklin, Gilchrist, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lafayette,
Manatee, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Suwannee, Taylor, Union and Wakulla.
There are several ways people can register:



By phone: call 800-621-FEMA (3362). Multilingual operators are available and lines are
open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Survivors who are deaf or hard of
hearing and use a TTY can call 800-462-7585;
Online: visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov; or
With a tablet or smartphone: use the FEMA app or go to m.fema.gov.
By registering, survivors may become eligible for various forms of federal disaster assistance,
such as FEMA individual assistance to help pay for essential home repairs, lost contents and
other serious disaster-related expenses.
C O M PL ET E
A N D R E T U RN S B A L O W - I N T ER ES T
DI SA S TE R L O AN AP P L I C AT I O N S
Another important source of rebuilding funds is the
U.S. Small Business Administration’s low-interest
disaster loan program.
Survivors who receive loan applications from SBA after
registering with FEMA should complete and return the applications even if they do not plan to
accept a loan. By completing this important step in the process, they may become eligible for
other forms of assistance, including additional grants from FEMA.
Homeowners, renters, certain nonprofit organizations and businesses of all sizes in designated
counties can apply for SBA loans to pay for disaster-related damages. People with home-based
businesses or rental property affected by the tropical storm may also be eligible for SBA loans.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure
website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
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For additional information, please call the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center toll-free
number is 800-659-2955. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can call 800-877-8339. Help is
also available by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov or by going to
www.sba.gov.
GET
H EL P W I T H I M M E D I A T E B U SI N ES S E X PEN SE S F RO M
TH E
F L O R I D A S M A L L B U S I N E S S E M E RG EN C Y B RI DG E L O AN P RO G R AM
Florida’s Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program was activated on Tuesday, July 3, to
help small businesses in 36 counties impacted by Tropical Storm Debby. Business owners can
apply at www.FloridaDisasterLoan.org.
These are short-term, interest-free working capital loans. They are intended to bridge the gap
between the time a disaster strikes and when a business has secured longer term recovery
resources, such as revived business, insurance settlements or federal assistance, including SBA
disaster loans.
This program is not designed to be the primary source of assistance to affected small businesses.
Eligibility is linked to a business’ pursuit of other sources of recovery funding.
This is not a grant and it is expected that the loan will be repaid with money from long-term
disaster recovery assistance.
Loans are available as low as $1,000 and up to $25,000 with terms of either 90 or 180 days –
determined on a case-by-case basis.
Payments are not required during the established loan term, but loans must be paid in full by the
end of the loan term. Failure to repay the loan by the end of the term may result in penalties.
Applications will be accepted through Aug. 15, 2012 for small businesses with two to 100
employees established prior to June 25, 2012.
G ET F A C E - T O - F A CE H E L P AT
D I S AS TE R
Disaster Recovery Centers are open throughout
counties designated for Individual Assistance.
Survivors who would like to talk with someone
face to face or who need help registering can visit
any of the centers for help. If possible, survivors
are asked to register with FEMA before visiting a
center.
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RE CO V E R Y C EN T ER S
Disaster Recovery Centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and
from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. To find the nearest center, go to www.FEMA.gov/DRCLocator.
BE M I N DF U L O F S C AM S AN D F R AU D
Remember FEMA and SERT representatives working in affected communities will always wear
official photo ID badges and will not ask for personal information, such as your Social Security
number.
If you suspect anyone of committing fraud or attempting to scam survivors, please report the
information to local law enforcement.
If you suspect anyone of contractor fraud, please contact the Florida Department of Business &
Professional Regulation by calling 866-532-1440 or by emailing ULA@dbpr.state.fl.us.
BE C AU TI O U S W H E N DE A L I N G W I TH M O L D
Take precautionary measures when cleaning and repairing flood-damaged homes and buildings.
Moisture that enters buildings from leaks or flooding accelerates mold growth, which can pose
serious health risks.
For more information, contact your county health department or the Florida Department of
Health's Indoor Air Program by calling 800-543-8279 Monday through Friday between the hours
of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
To see a video on how to eradicate mold and mildew from your home, visit
http://go.usa.gov/wyQ.
For more information and resources on mold and mildew eradication, go to
www.FEMA.gov/Rebuild/Recover/Mold.
G ET TH E L A T E S T R E C O V E R Y N EW S
For the latest Tropical Storm Debby recovery information, a variety of resources are available:
 Follow @FLSERT and @FEMAregion4 on Twitter;
 Visit www.Facebook.com/floridasert and www.FloridaDisaster.org; and
 Go to www.FEMA.gov/disaster/4068.
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