Ohioans Have One Week Left to Apply for Assistance

Only one week remains for individuals and business owners in the 32 Ohio counties designated for individual assistance to apply for state and federal aid to replace losses from the winter storms and flooding that occurred between Dec. 22, 2004 and Feb. 1, 2005.

The deadline to call and apply for disaster assistance is April 18. The eligible counties include: Ashland, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Clark, Coshocton, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Guernsey, Henry, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Licking, Jefferson, Logan, Miami, Morgan, Muskingum, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Stark, Tuscarawas, Warren, Washington and Wyandot.

Individuals and business owners in the eligible counties who sustained losses but still have not applied for assistance should do so by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) toll-free application number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). There is also a special number for those with hearing or speech impairment, TTY 1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are operational from Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice. People may also register online at www.fema.gov.

People who have already applied may call the FEMA Helpline at the same numbers, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585), even after the deadline, to check on the status of their application and get additional information.