- Emergency relief can come in many different types of federal grants or insurance.emergency injury image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
The U.S. Government provides grants for citizens in many kinds of crisis. These grants are designed to support individuals, families and small businesses. They can take the shape of emergency funds to help cover expenses during a time of individual or regional crisis or offer competitive insurance programs designed to mitigate the effects of potential disaster. - FEMA provides natural disaster assistance.flood image by Gail Ranney from Fotolia.com
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers grants for disaster relief and disaster preparedness. FEMA's Disaster Assistance loans are designed to help families, individuals and businesses cover expenses immediately after a disaster. The agency also offers disaster legal services, disaster counseling and disaster employment assistance for individuals who have "become unemployed because of major disasters." The agency offers a number of other programs, such as the Port Security Grant Program and the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program to help communities build their disaster prevention and preparedness infrastructures. Preparedness grant applications can be found online. Individuals applying for disaster-relief grants can apply online or by calling the FEMA office at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). They will need to provide their Social Security number, pre-disaster address and income information, insurance information and current contact information. - Loans help affected areas rebuild.form -3 image by Rog999 from Fotolia.com
The Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) provides loans to "homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery, & equipment, inventory and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster." These loans differ from FEMA Disaster Assistance in that they are designed to foster long-term recovery rather than immediate disaster relief. Loan applications can be made online. Applicants must provide contact, identification, deed, insurance and financial information. Applicants must have a credit rating that is acceptable to the SBA. For physical loss loans more than $14,000, the SBA will use an applicant's available property as collateral. - Emergency food stamps cover sudden shortfalls.veggie stand image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
Most states offer emergency food stamps for individuals in financial crisis. In Massachusetts, for example, individuals are eligible for emergency food stamps if their income plus their cash on hand is less than their upcoming rent and utility expenses, or if monthly income is less than $150, or if primary income is from seasonal work and there is less than $100 cash on hand. Requirements may vary by state. People in need of emergency food stamps should visit the local office of their state's Department of Human Services. Eligible applicants will receive emergency food stamps within seven days of application. Emergency food stamps are good for one month, after which point recipients must apply for regular food stamps. - FCIC promotes agricultural stability.farmland with cereal crops image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), a division of the Farm Services Agency (FSA), promotes "the economic stability of agriculture through a sound system of crop insurance." Crop Insurance can help farmers cover expenses during years of extreme crop shortfall. Insurance is either yield-based, meaning it is calculated based on a given crop's chances of success for a given area, or revenue-based, meaning it is calculated based on the overall projected revenue of a farm rather than the yield of a particular loss. Farmers covered by the FCIC also receive Catastrophic Coverage, which pays "55% of the established price of the commodity on crop losses in excess of 50%." The Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) helps farmers of uninsurable crops to cover expenses during potential disaster times. Insurance requirements and crops covered vary by region.
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