Suffolk added to U.S. disaster relief list

More substantial disaster relief from the federal government will now be available to all of Long Island after Tropical Storm Irene rolled through the area last weekend.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency made Suffolk County residents and business owners eligible to apply for disaster aid in the form of loans and grants, officials announced Friday afternoon.

The designation for Suffolk County came a day after Nassau County was added to the list of disaster assistance areas. Unemployment assistance, legal advice, food stamps and crisis counseling will also be available.

Long Islanders will be able to apply for grants from FEMA and loans from the Small Business Administration to help with Irene-inflicted damages to personal property that may not be covered by their insurance companies, said FEMA spokesman Mike McCormick.

"The insurance carrier is the first phone call, we're the second one," he said.

Businesses and nonprofits are not eligible for FEMA grants, which go to individual households, but can receive low-interest loans from the SBA for economic injury, said SBA spokesman Jelani Miller.

Despite that, business owners are encouraged to register online or by phone with FEMA so they can be better tracked, Miller added.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said he was grateful for the news. "The storm damage knows no boundaries," he said.

McCormick said residents planning to apply for aid should do so as soon as possible; after initial confirmation an inspector will arrive to survey damages and repairs. If approved, grant money could be deposited in the recipient's bank account within days.

Long Islanders should not wait to start repairing their damaged property, McCormick added. Instead, they should take before-and-after photos and keep receipts for repairs to show FEMA inspectors.

The deadline to apply for aid in New York is 60 days after Aug. 30 -- the day President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration for the state.

Farms with crop or livestock loss are not eligible for FEMA or SBA assistance. There is a separate disaster designation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that allows farms to receive aid from the Farm Service Agency, Miller said.

The USDA disaster classification has not been applied yet to any areas hit by Irene, said spokesman Kent Politsch.

For more information and to apply for federal assistance, visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362.

Businesses applying for loans should register with FEMA, then contact the SBA at 800-659-2955 or sba.gov.

With Robert Lewis