Georgia Disaster Aid Deadline is April 21

Georgia residents coping with low insurance settlements and late-arriving bills for damages and losses caused by the mid-March severe storms and tornadoes are running out of time to register for state and federal disaster assistance.

The most immediate application deadlines are for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) to help residents in any of the seven declared counties who have lost income due to the disaster. The deadlines are set 30 days from the date a county is declared eligible for federal assistance.

Anyone in Fulton County interested in filing for DUA must apply for these benefits no later than April 21, 2008. In all other eligible counties - Bartow, Burke, DeKalb, Floyd, Jefferson and Polk - the deadline is April 23, 2008. DUA claims may be filed at any of the Georgia Department of Labor career centers in those areas.

The state-run, federally financed program extends the possibility of benefits to workers who may not normally qualify for unemployment compensation, including farmers, farm workers, diversified farming operators, loggers, commission-paid employees, those who are self-employed and others who are not eligible for the state's program. The maximum weekly benefit amount is $320.

Residents in the seven declared counties also have only 30 more days to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for possible state and federal disaster assistance. Registrations cannot be accepted after the May 19 deadline.

Recovery officials urge homeowners, renters and business owners with disaster-related damage in any declared county to call 800-621-FEMA (3362) without delay. The number for those with a speech- or hearing-impairment is 800-462-7585. Lines are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until further notice. Multilingual operators are available at both registration lines. Online registration is also available at www.fema.gov.