Chamber of Commerce shares info on storm assistance

Note: The following is from an e-mail from Bill Purcell, President, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce:

Although Hurricane Sandy is a week behind us - and now we have seen the first flakes fly for the winter season - there is still much cleanup ahead.
For those businesses who have suffered from this storm, we want to share this information from CT DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith:

"As we continue on the path to recovery after Hurricane Sandy, I wanted to remind impacted businesses about resources available to them.

FEMA
Federal assistance has been made available through FEMA. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced that those affected in Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London Counties must register with FEMA by phone or online to receive aid.


To register by phone, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY line for people with speech or hearing disabilities is 1-800-462-7585. The line is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

- To register online, applications may be completed at www.disasterassistance.gov.

- For disaster assistance questions, call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

State officials and FEMA are assessing damage in Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties to determine if they will be eligible for aid. Residents and businesses in those counties should dial 2-1-1 or go online at www.211ct.org to report their damage.

SBA
The Small Business Administration will be offering loans to homeowners, businesses, and non-profit organizations. You can access a SBA Disaster Assistance online at www.sba.gov/disasteror call the Buffalo call center at 800-659-2955.

Finally, businesses can contact our agency about the financial and technical resources that may be available to them. To talk to a DECD representative call 860-270-8105."

Purcell added, "As your Chamber gets additional information to help our area businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy we will share both via email and our Social Media Channels, including our Chamber Facebook business page."