Homeowners and renters who sustained damage in the flood are encouraged to fill out the online form at disasterassistance.gov. This will get their address added to the list for a FEMA inspector to visit.

Related: Federal Disaster Declaration Expanded to Include Individual Assistance for Minnesotans Impacted by Flooding in Cook County, other parts of NE MN

To fill out the form, people will need to provide:

• Their address with ZIP code
• Condition of their damaged home
• Insurance information, if available
• Social Security number
• Phone number where they can be contacted
• Address where they can get mail or an email address

People who are unable to fill out the form online can call 1-800-621-3362.

All FEMA inspectors will be wearing a FEMA Contractor ID badge that displays their photo and name. These are no-cost inspections and inspectors never ask for money.

These inspections are for residential properties only. Inspections for commercial properties damaged in the flood will be later.

 Small Business Association Assistance

When disasters are declared, the SBA provides low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to help fund repairs that aren’t covered by insurance or other sources like FEMA grants. ANYONE affected by these storms should also register with SBA at sba.gov/disaster and apply for a disaster loan to help with unmet needs.

There are a number of benefits including low interest rates, a one-year grace period without payments or interest, and repayment terms as long as 30 years.

People who are unable to fill out the form online can call 1-800-659-2955.

“Homeowners or renters with damage should also apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) at www.sba.gov/disaster.  These loans, with interest rates as low as 2.688%, can provide additional funds needed to complete repairs and replace disaster-damaged personal property. In addition to low interest rates, SBA loans have a one-year grace period without payments due or interest accruing, and repayment terms as long as 30 years.  Call 1-800-659-2955 for more information.”

Attached are the SBA’s latest news release, fact sheet, and flyers informing people about how they can apply.

These materials have also been posted to our Media Release on the Cook County MN website: https://co.cook.mn.us/news_detail_T6_R498.php .

Please call Carl at the cell number below if you have any questions.

Carl Dombek
Public Affairs Specialist
Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience (ODR&R)
U.S. Small Business Administration
(404) 331-0333 (office)
(571) 564-0241 (cell)
[email protected]

Editor's Note: This post was updated on August 9 to include information from the US Small Business Association.