Even though the deadline has passed, there are still ways St. Louis residents can obtain disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Late registration is an option for the next 60 days, said Julian Nicks, St. Louis’ chief recovery officer.
FEMA guidelines say the reasoning provided for a late application must entail extenuating circumstances, but Nicks said anyone who still needs aid should apply late.
“The pure disaster itself is an extenuating circumstance,” Nicks said. “They should act as if the deadline was extended by 60 days for all intents and purposes. Go apply.”
He said some reasoning that he has seen lead to an approval of a late registration for past disasters includes lack of access to technology and illness.
Appealing a FEMA decision
If you receive a letter from FEMA that says your application cannot be approved, you can still appeal the decision.
The letter will detail what further documents or information must be provided to FEMA within 60 days of receiving the letter. This might be a driver's license, lease or other documents depending on the reason for the rejection.
An appeal form should be included in the letter where applicants can include additional information. It can also be downloaded here.
You can check on the status of your appeal by calling the helpline at 1-800-621-3362 or visiting a disaster recovery center. Nicks said the city’s goal is for the recovery centers to remain standing as long as St. Louisans need help.
“Right now, we are still seeing tons of people coming into the [recovery centers] every day, getting support as they process documentation,” Nicks said. “We’ll be advocating for FEMA to be on the ground as long as they need to be and as long as that need is still there.”
Appeal decisions are usually made within 30 days, but it may take up to 90 days.
When submitting any documentation or information to FEMA, you must include your FEMA application number and disaster number on every page. The disaster number for the St. Louis tornado is 4877, and the application number is a unique nine-digit number assigned to each person. Always know your application number when contacting FEMA about disaster recovery.
FEMA recommends keeping receipts for disaster-related purchases and providing contractor estimates for repairs.
“With FEMA, the answer is no until it’s yes,” Nicks said. “Think about what is the other thing that I need to get to a yes.”
According to FEMA, about 8,400 households have been approved for assistance. About 13,500 home inspections, which are required before receiving aid, have been completed.
FEMA has provided $40 million in individual assistance to homeowners and renters since the tornado.
Resources
Documents can be submitted:
- Online at disasterassistance.gov.
- By faxing them to 1-800-827-8112 ATTN: FEMA.
- By mailing them to FEMA’s P.O. Box 10055 Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055.
- In person at a disaster recovery center.
Disaster recovery centers are located at:
- Urban League Entrepreneurship and Women’s Business Center, 4401 Natural Bridge Ave., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday
- Union Tabernacle M.B. Church, 626 N. Newstead Ave., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday
Both locations are closed on Sundays and Labor Day.
Businesses are not eligible for FEMA individual assistance, but they can receive aid from the Small Business Administration.
SBA Business Recovery Centers are located at:
- SBA Business Recovery Center at St. Louis Community College–Harrison Education Center, 3140 Cass Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday.
- SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center at St. Louis County Library–Florissant Valley Branch, 195 S. New Florissant Road, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday
- SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center at St. Louis County Library–Mid-County Branch, 7821 Maryland Ave., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
More information can be found on FEMA’s website.
