JIC Recovery Release No. 91 - SBA to Open Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Dededo; Two Days Left to Apply for FEMA Assistance - GHS OCD

SBA to Open Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Dededo:

The U.S. Small Business Administration is opening a Disaster Loan Outreach Center to meet the needs of businesses and individuals who were affected by Typhoon Mawar. The center will be located at the Astumbo Senior Citizen Center beginning Monday, July 31, open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

SBA disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.

Interest rates can be as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.375 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 2.5 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, survivors must first register with FEMA at www.disasterassistance.gov.

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The deadline to apply for property damage is July 27, 2023. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Feb. 28, 2024.

Two Days Left to Apply for FEMA Assistance:

If you have suffered any damage or losses due to Typhoon Mawar, you may be eligible for FEMA Individual Assistance. Please note that you only have two days remaining to register for FEMA assistance, as the deadline of July 27, Eastern Standard Time, is rapidly approaching. Because of the time difference between the Eastern Standard Time and the Chamorro Time Zone, the deadline to register for FEMA assistance has been adjusted to 11:59 p.m. July 28, Chamorro Time.

FEMA assistance may include grants to help homeowners and renters pay for:

Temporary housing for those displaced from their disaster-damaged primary homes.
Essential repairs to owner-occupied primary homes including structural components such as foundation, exterior walls and roof, and interior areas such as ceiling and floors.
Replacement of personal property including specialized tools for employment, household items, appliances, disability equipment (i.e., wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc.) and vehicle repair or replacement.
Other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance, including medical, dental, moving and child-care expenses and funeral and transportation expenses.

Typhoon Mawar survivors should register for assistance even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but underinsured applicants may receive help after their claims have been settled.

If you haven’t applied for federal disaster assistance yet, please register before the deadline by visiting disasterassistance.gov, using the FEMA mobile app, calling 800-621-3362 (The Helpline is available 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week at no cost for Guam residents), or stopping by a Disaster Recovery Center at Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School or Guam Community College. Hours of operation at DRCs: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sunday, closed.

The DRC at Juan M. Guerrero Elementary School will permanently close at 5 p.m. July 27, Chamorro Time. The DRC at Guam Community College will remain open to assist survivors.

Disaster Recovery Centers are barrier-free and provide equal access to all visitors. If you use American Sign Language or assistive technology, and if you need accommodations to communicate, please notify FEMA staff at the center immediately.

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. 91 - SBA to Open Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Dededo; Two Days Left to Apply for FEMA Assistance