Escambia County residents affected by Hurricane Isaias can get help applying for FEMA disaster assistance at three Pensacola locations through Wednesday, November 4. State Emergency Response Team staff will help people register and answer application questions, according to the county’s announcement.
The sites are open Sunday, November 1, from 1 to 5 p.m., then Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. All hours are local Central Time. Residents can also apply online, through the FEMA app or by phone without visiting a site.
Where to get help
| Registration point | Address in Pensacola |
|---|---|
| Bayview Senior Center | 2000 E. Lloyd St. |
| Escambia County Central Office Complex | 3363 W. Park Place |
| Cokesbury Church | 5725 N. 9th Ave. |
The county directs residents to MyEscambia.com for schedule changes. WKRG reported that the sites offer help with housing, home-repair and other disaster-related applications.
These are application-help sites. Registering does not establish that a household qualifies for a payment. The county’s October 29 declaration notice says FEMA will verify eligibility and need before offering assistance.
Choose an application route
For an online application, go to DisasterAssistance.gov, enter your location and select Apply Online. The address lookup helps identify assistance available for your area. USAGov cautions that living in a declared disaster area does not mean someone qualifies for every program offered there.
The FEMA app provides another way to apply from a phone. For telephone help, call 800-621-3362. Escambia’s notice lists helpline hours as 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time daily. The in-person sites offer staff assistance for residents who have questions about completing their registration.
The November 4 end of the posted site schedule is not identified in the county notice as the deadline for submitting a FEMA application. Those are different dates; the notice establishes when these three locations provide help.
Information to have ready
USAGov’s application guidance lists your Social Security number, insurance information, annual household income, contact information, a description of the damage and bank information for direct deposit.
ReadyWisconsin’s federal-program FAQ adds that applicants should have the address where they lived when the disaster occurred and the address where they are staying now. Insured applicants should have their policy number or insurance company or agent’s name. Banking details are needed if you choose direct deposit.
Insurance and FEMA cover different needs
Escambia’s declaration notice says assistance can address housing, home repairs and other disaster-related needs. It also identifies access to crisis counseling, disaster unemployment assistance, legal services and case management.
FEMA cannot pay benefits for losses already covered by insurance. Having insurance, however, does not automatically rule out assistance for items the policy does not cover, the county says. ReadyWisconsin explains that Individual Assistance grants do not need to be repaid. They are intended to meet basic needs and supplement recovery efforts.
USAGov describes Disaster Legal Services as free help for low-income people in federally declared disaster areas. Depending on the case, it may help with insurance claims, home-repair contracts, lost legal documents or landlord problems. Cases that could generate a fee are referred to a local lawyer referral service.
After you apply
FEMA may verify damage through an in-person or remote inspection, according to ReadyWisconsin’s FAQ. The inspector records damage but does not decide whether an applicant receives assistance.
Watch for requests for additional information and read the decision letter. It explains assistance approved or denied and provides appeal instructions. Correspondence is also available through a DisasterAssistance.gov account.
USAGov says applicants can check their status online or by calling 800-621-3362. If you disagree with a decision, follow the instructions in the FEMA letter and provide the documents relevant to that decision, such as repair receipts, bills or estimates. The FAQ says appeals must be submitted within 60 days of the date on the decision letter.
