MADISON, Miss. (FEMA) – FEMA has begun approving grants and sending letters to homeowners and renters who applied for FEMA assistance following the June severe storms and tornadoes in Jackson and Jasper counties.
Direct Deposits and Checks
If an application is approved, applicants who gave their banking information to FEMA will be getting grant money directly deposited into their bank accounts. Applicants who did not give their bank information will be getting physical checks mailed to either their permanent or temporary address.
FEMA already has approved more than $450,000 in grants to individuals and households, for basic home repairs, temporary rentals and other needs. Most of that money has been disbursed and is in applicant bank accounts.
Decision Letters
Applicants should look for an email or letter from FEMA. Everyone getting FEMA grants will get a letter, by email or mail. These “Assistance Approved” letters explain the type and amount of FEMA assistance approved. An application may still be under review to see if an applicant qualifies for other types of assistance. If so, FEMA will send a separate letter with a decision or to request for more information.
FEMA also is sending letters to those who have not been approved. These “Assistance Not Approved” letters are not a final decision. They explain what assistance was not approved, why it is not currently approved, and the steps to take to possibly get approval. Sometimes the steps are as basic as giving FEMA missing documents.
Right to Appeal
Even after following the instructions about added steps, an application may not be approved. In those cases, applicants have the right to appeal FEMA’s decision.
Even those applicants whose application was approved may not agree with the grant amounts. They may appeal FEMA’s determination on the amount.
Beyond these two scenarios, every situation is different and every applicant has the right to appeal.
Appealing
Applicants must mail or submit an appeal within 60 days from the date they got their decision letter. Appeal letters should simply state:
- what decision is being appealed
- why the applicant disagrees with that decision
- what documents are being sent with the letter.
Appeal letters and all supporting documents should include:
- Name
- Disaster number: 4727
- FEMA application number.
The three ways to submit an appeal are:
- Upload to disasterassistance.gov
- Send it by mail to: FEMA National Processing Service Center, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055
- Fax it to 800-827-8112.
Contacting FEMA
If applicants have questions about their letters, they are encouraged to call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 or go to a Disaster Recovery Center.
At a Disaster Recovery Center, they can speak with specialists. The centers are open:
- Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
At these locations:
- Jackson County Riverfront Community Center 4400 Denny St. Moss Point, MS 39563
- Jasper County Louin City Hall 4240 MS-15 Louin, MS 39338
Applicants also may call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. The helpline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
For the latest information on recovery from the June tornadoes, visit msema.org and www.fema.gov/disaster/4727 On Twitter follow MEMA @MSEMA and FEMA Region 4 @femaregion4.
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