Apply for assistance

Residents of Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard and Bollinger counties are now eligible for federal disaster assistance to rebuild from the March 18 and 19 storms and subsequent flooding. Grants can help pay for emergency housing and repairs to make a home safe and sanitary; low-interest loans can be used to rebuild a home or business, replace lost property or defer economic losses. To apply:

• Use the FEMA Web site: www.fema.gov
• Call the assistance hot line: 800-621-3362
• Visit a disaster recovery center. There is one open in Piedmont, Mo., from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily on Highway 34 near Piedmont High School. Others are expected to be announced soon.

Gov. Matt Blunt also announced that disaster unemployment insurance is available for people who lost days of work or who are not working as a result of the flooding. Applicants must live in a county declared eligible for individual assistance and not be eligible for standard unemployment insurance, such as farmers or the self-employed. To determine eligibility, call 800-788-4002. Claims must be made by April 30.

— Rudi Keller