Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Federal assistance continues to add up for victims of storms, tornadoes and flooding last August.

In just over a month since the Biden White House declared a major disaster for Michigan following severe weather last August, FEMA says more than
$105 million in federal assistance so far has been doled out to help with recovery.
Homeowners and renters whose homes and property were damaged by last summer's storms have until April 8 to apply for federal assistance.
As of March 19, Michigan’s recovery assistance includes:
§ More than $103.1 million in FEMA’s Individual and Households Program (IHP) grants awarded to eligible homeowners and renters in nine Michigan counties. These grants help pay for uninsured and underinsured losses and storm-related damage, including:

o More than $83.1 million in FEMA housing grants to help pay for home repair, home replacement and rental assistance for temporary housing.
o More than $19.9 million in Other Needs Assistance grants to help pay for personal property replacement and other serious storm-related needs-such as moving and storage fees, transportation, childcare, and medical and dental expenses.
§ More than $2.2 million in long-term, low-interest disaster loans from the SBA for homeowners and renters to help repair, rebuild or replace disaster-damaged physical property and to cover economic injury for businesses of all sizes and non-profit organizations.
The nine Michigan counties designated for Individual Assistance in this disaster are: Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne.
The state and FEMA have staffed and operated 15 Disaster Recovery Centers in the nine designated counties that provide one-on-one assistance to survivors. The centers have tallied more than 1,270 visits by survivors.

Recovery specialists from FEMA, state and the U.S. Small Business Administration at the recovery centers provide information on available services, explain assistance programs, and help survivors complete or check the status of their applications for assistance. No appointment is necessary to visit a Disaster Recovery Center. Walk-ins are welcome. All centers are open 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. All centers are closed Sundays.
To find locations of all open recovery centers, visit FEMA.gov/DRC. You may visit any center for assistance.

The easiest way to reach FEMA is to call the toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists are available 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. to help you apply, answer your questions and provide referrals to resources. Language translation is available.

If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.

You also may go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA App.