The Federal Emergency Management Agency deadlines for aid for residents impacted by hurricanes Gustav and Ike are fast approaching.

The official cutoff date for applications for claims related to Hurricane Gustav is Nov. 1 and claim applications for Hurricane Ike are due Nov. 12.

So far, FEMA has granted more than $3 million in assistance in Iberia Parish, $1.5 million in St. Martin Parish and $3.3 million in St. Mary Parish for Hurricane Gustav-related damages. Applicants with claims for Hurricane Ike have received $625,000 in Iberia Parish, and $391,000 in St. Mary Parish.

Advertisement

Dasha Castillo, FEMA spokeswoman said no St. Martin Parish residents have applied for disaster benefits from damages incurred by Hurricane Ike.

Statewide, Castillo said the agency has handed out more than $90 million in individual assistance benefits for Hurricane Gustav and more than $64 million in housing assistance benefits. She said, so far, more than $13 million has been distributed in individual assistance benefits for Hurricane Ike and more than $12 million in housing assistance.

“We understand that the people of Louisiana have been through a lot with two major disasters in less than a month,” Castillo said. “It is for this reason that FEMA encourages those affected to apply for benefits.”

She said Tuesday is the deadline for filing Ike-related employment loss or interruption benefits in the Teche Area and the deadline for those displaced by Hurricane Gustav to receive assistance through the agency’s transitional sheltering initiative has been extended to Oct. 17.

A FEMA application number also provides access to disaster assistance for homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

“For those people who have an application in hand or are unsure if they want to complete the application, we strongly encourage them to get it done,” said Richard Daigle, communication specialist for SBA. “It puts them in a position to get the maximum federal benefits and, if they decide they don’t want to use it, they don’t have to. They have 60 days to decide to use it or not. It gives them a very viable option, and after the deadlines the window is closed.”

Daigle said the SBA has processed and approved 892 loan applications for Hurricane Gustav, extending more than $25 million in low-interest loans. So far, he said they have processed and approved 25 loans associated with Hurricane Ike claims, totaling more than $1 million in aid.

Both totals, Daigle said, will continue increasing daily as the deadlines approach.

“These numbers are significant because it is a lot of assistance going out to people who need help,” he said. “What we try to do is let people see these numbers so they realize that help is available once they turn in their applications.”

Disaster assistance is available from SBA in two forms, physical disaster loans and economic injury disaster loans. More information on these programs are available at www.sba.gov.  Castillo also said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has installed approximately 10,237 tarps on roofs to date through their Blue Roof Program with more than 14,000 right of entry forms collected.