JIC Recovery Release No. 80 - Renters in Guam Can Apply for FEMA Assistance - GHS OCD

Renters in Guam Can Apply for FEMA Assistance

Renters in Guam whose dwelling sustained damage or loss from Typhoon Mawar can apply for federal disaster assistance. While renters are not eligible for FEMA financial assistance for home repair, they may still qualify for certain FEMA individual assistance programs.

FEMA disaster assistance may help renters pay for temporary housing. Initial rental assistance is for a one-month or two-month period and can be reviewed for further assistance.

Renters may also qualify for assistance under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance program for uninsured essential personal property losses and other disaster-related expenses. These may include:

Replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks, or school supplies.
Replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment required by the self-employed.
Primary vehicles.
Uninsured or out-of-pocket medical, dental, childcare, moving and storage expenses.
People with disabilities may be eligible for financial assistance to replace disability equipment (i.e., wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc.) if the items were damaged or lost due to the disaster.

Applicants who apply for disaster assistance from FEMA may be referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration for information on how to apply for a disaster loan. It is important to submit the loan application as soon as possible. If your application is approved, you do not have to accept the loan, but failure to return the application may disqualify you from other possible FEMA assistance.

To obtain more information about SBA disaster loans, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659- 2955. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

If you haven’t applied for federal disaster assistance yet, please do so at disasterassistance.gov, by using the FEMA mobile app, by calling 800-621-3362 (The Helpline is available 24 hours a day/7 days a week at no cost for Guam residents), or by stopping by a Disaster Recovery Center.

Visit the following links for the latest information:

Governor’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/govlouguam
GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/
GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/09/10.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

JIC Recovery Release No. 80 - Renters in Guam Can Apply for FEMA Assistance