Since Hurricane Florence blew through Beaufort County in September, the Washington Daily News has published multiple articles on federal recovery funds available for those impacted by Hurricane Florence.

There’s a good reason for that repetition.

With a deadline of Nov. 13 looming for applications to both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration, 2,000 households have applied for assistance from the former, while approximately 160 people have applied to the latter.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for storm survivors to apply to both of these agencies. If FEMA denies your request, the SBA may be able to help, and even if you don’t want to take out a loan, applying for one may open other doors to help on recovery.

From this newspaper, from Beaufort County Emergency Services and countless other sources, the message has come time and time again — register with FEMA and the SBA.

At this point in the game, there are still 13 days to do so. While the process is admittedly cumbersome and can be frustrating, it is worth it. A denial from FEMA and SBA may open up the way to an appeal process through FEMA. It may be convoluted and bureaucratic, but it may be the only chance survivors have to get some monetary assistance in the wake of a natural disaster like Florence.

Today’s paper marks another in which the WDN has shared this important information, and it’s likely not the last time. That being said, not everyone takes the paper. Not everyone in our county has the ability to read.

If you know someone who has been impacted by Florence, check in with them. See if they have applied with FEMA and the SBA. If not, that’s the perfect opportunity to share something of what you read in the newspaper today.