100 homes statewide destroyed by wildfires do not quality for FEMA's Individual Assistance Program

 State, local governments assess damages from Wallow, Horseshoe 2, Monument Fires

Impacted businesses and homeowners urged to review program eligibility

In order to meet FEMA eligibility requirements for the Individual Assistance Program, Arizona must have more than 550 primary residences, uninsured or underinsured, that are destroyed or have major damage rendering them uninhabitable.  At this time, early assessments indicate only 100 homes statewide have been destroyed or sustained major damage.   The State is still determining how many of those homes are primary residences as well as their insurance status.

PHOENIX—Apache and Cochise counties and the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) are conducting field Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) to determine the scope and magnitude of the damages inflicted by the Wallow, Horseshoe 2 and Monument fires.

The PDA process is the first step in determining eligibility for federal recovery programs. It appears neither Apache nor Cochise counties will reach FEMA’s thresholds to qualify for its disaster assistance programs[1].

 However, other assistance may be available to families and businesses in the form of low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

“We want to ensure we have the best data available to meet SBA eligibility requirements,” said ADEM Director Lou Trammell. “SBA isn’t just about helping small-business owners as the name might suggest; low-interest loans are available to eligible businesses and homeowners alike.”

Help for homeowners may come in the form of SBA’s property damage loan program.  In order to quality, the State must report at least 25 primary residences and/or business with uninsured losses of at least 40 percent of the estimated fair replacement value or pre-disaster fair market value of the damaged property.

• Apache County residents that qualify are urged to visit the Individual Assistance Service Center at Round Valley Public Library, 179 S. Main St. , in Eagar, call (602) 926-7261 or email recovery@azdema.gov.

 

• Cochise County residents that qualify are ur ged to visit the Ind ividual Assistance Service Center at the Cochise County Foothills Complex, 4001 E. Foothills Dr. , in Sierra Vista , call (520) 221-0160, or email recovery@azdema.gov .

Help for small business may come in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) programs. These loans are available to businesses—regardless of property damage--that were economically impacted by the disaster. The State must show that at least five small businesses suffered “substantial economic injury” as a result of a disaster to qualify.

 Staff at both Individual Assistance Service Centers are available to answer questions, make referrals and help business owners complete the one-page SBA Economic Injury Worksheet. Information collected through PDAs and from the SBA worksheets is critical to the State’s request for SBA support.

Small business owners impacted by the Wallow, Horseshoe 2 and Monument fires can download the Economic Injury Worksheet (www.azein.gov) and return to the local Individual Assistance Service Center or email to recovery@azdema.gov by July 1.

Visit the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AzEIN) website at http://www.azein.gov/ for real-time emergency updates, preparedness and hazard information, and multimedia resources.