Mobile unit offers help to flood victims

Bernadine Shortt’s flight back from Barbados landed around 1 a.m. on August 8 and she had just fallen asleep in her Springfield Gardens home when her nephew came running up the stairs yelling that the basement was flooding.
Now, two months after the storm, Shortt finally had a chance to apply for federal aid to help repair her home. She registered in person at the new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mobile unit that recently opened in Jamaica.
Shortt said she came to the center to get information on the options for fixing her home. She registered for an inspector to visit the site, learned how to remove and prevent mold and mildew, and applied for a loan from the Small Business Administration (SBA).
“I got information in a one-on-one situation,” Shortt said. “I got what I wanted.”
The whole process at the mobile unit — located at Merrick Boulevard and 111th Avenue — took Shortt about an hour on Monday, October 15.
When she finished registering, Shortt said she was happy a FEMA inspector was going to visit her house to look at the damage. However, she did admit she wasn’t sure if she wanted a loan and would much prefer a grant to fix her home.
At the mobile unit residents can register for inspections and find out how much damage there is. The SBA will then determine if the person qualifies for a low interest loan. If they do not qualify, FEMA will decide if they will give a grant to cover damages.
The loans can go as high as $200,000 for property and $40,000 for personal possessions. Store owners can also apply for loans, which can go as high as $1.5 million for individual businesses.
SBA communication specialist Michael Peacock said they try to process all loan requests within 21 days.
Workers at the center said they have already seen a dramatic increase in the number of people visiting since it opened on October 10.
Since FEMA began offering help to storm victims, over 2,000 people have registered for disaster assistance and 580 people have visited mobile centers. So far over $3 million in loans has been approved as of October 11.
The mobile unit came to Jamaica after a town-hall meeting organized by Congressmember Gregory Meeks in early October.
“A lot of property was damaged in southeast Queens,” Meeks spokesman Brian Simon said.
When the center opened many turned out to welcome the mobile unit as an opportunity to apply for assistance.
“It was a nightmare, there was water all over,” State Senator Shirley Huntley said. “It was really unbelievable.”
Huntley said many have yet to start repairs because they have been waiting for assistance.
Now, she said, many homeowners will begin restorations because they will soon learn what kind of help is available.
One of the first people to come through the center looking for aid did not even know it was open — it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
While walking home from the supermarket, Mae, who declined to give her last name, spotted the FEMA mobile unit and decided to stop by.
Mae, who lives in Jamaica, said her basement flooded after the storm and she needs to throw out a rug and re-tile the area. She said she had planned to contact FEMA, but it was nice to be able to speak to someone in person.
Officials urge people to register by phone or on the Internet before stopping into the center, but they can also register in person. Residents can sign up for inspections by visiting www.FEMA.org or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA. Anybody seeking aid must register by October 30.