A FEMA rejection letter doesn’t mean you are out of luck for a disaster property loan

With the recent floods causing more than a billion dollars worth of damage throughout the state, getting any type of help can be monumental. However through FEMA in the last few weeks, a lot of Nebraskans saw a rejection notice.

“People are starting to receive termination letters from FEMA and if you’re deemed ineligible in those letters they will tell you the reasons why, we really would like to make sure that anyone that receives those letters, read them thoroughly, and don’t just toss them,” Renee Bafils FEMA Media Relations said.

FEMA officials say that it’s common for people to receive a rejection letter after applying, and that’s when you should go to one of four disaster recovery centers in the state of Nebraska.

“Disaster recovery centers are located throughout the state in the affected communities, those centers are open 7 days a week, and most of them are open from 7 am to 7 pm,” Bafils said.

The average loan from FEMA is only around $4,000 but it’s designed to help get a jumpstart on a new life.

FEMA says there are also other government organizations that are here to help such as the Small Business Administration.

“We really encourage you to complete that process because if you don’t, that stops your disaster recovery right there. If you complete the process and for some reason, you’re not made eligible for that loan they will then refer you back to FEMA for a second look,” Bafils said.

The four disaster recovery centers are located in Butler, Nemaha, Richardson, and Custer County.

“Centers are set up in these communities to sort of be a one-stop shop to help folks that maybe have not registered or if they’ve registered to help them find out what the state of the claim is, and if they’ve received a letter from us to find out what the next steps are in that process,” Bafils said.

If you would like to find out more information on these disaster recovery centers you can go to https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2019/04/10/state-nebraska-and-fema-will-open-disaster-recovery-centers-butler-custer and find a recovery center near you.