Topic: Disaster Relief

Topic: Disaster Relief

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Please note that this information is from 2018. If you are a Hurricane Florence survivor and would like Legal Aid’s help during recovery, please call 866-219-5262 to learn more about our services and eligibility. For more information about how Legal Aid may be able to help Florence survivors, click here.

Additional Counties Approved to Receive Federal Aid, Total Now Stands at 34

A pro bono legal services project of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of North Carolina, American Bar Association, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency helps North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Florence

RALEIGH · October 26, 2018 – A toll-free legal aid hotline is now available for survivors of Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. The service, which allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer free of charge, is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with support from the North Carolina Bar Foundation.

Survivors of Hurricane Florence who have disaster-related legal questions or concerns may call 1-833-242-3549, the NC DLS assistance hotline activated by the North Carolina Bar Association. Callers should identify that they are seeking hurricane-related legal assistance, ask for Disaster Legal Services and identify the county in which they are located. Survivors who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help.

Examples of legal assistance available include:

  • Assistance with appeals of FEMA and other benefits available to disaster survivors
  • Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims
  • Help with home repair contracts and contractors, including fraud or scams
  • Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster
  • Assistance with consumer protection matters
  • Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
  • Counseling on landlord/tenant problems
  • Emergency family law-related needs caused by a change in housing circumstances

The hotline is available weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free, limited legal help. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases will be referred to the NCBA Lawyer Referral Service (www.NCFindALawyer.org).

Major Disaster Declaration

A total of 34 North Carolina counties have been approved to receive federal assistance in the wake of Hurricane Florence. The counties are Anson, Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Union, Wayne and Wilson counties. Additional counties may be added.

People who sustained property damage as a result of the Hurricane Florence are urged to register with FEMA, as they may be eligible for federal and state disaster assistance. People can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or via smartphone or Web-enabled device at fema.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585 (TTY) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (Eastern Time) seven days a week. Hurricane Florence survivors are also urged to call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 if there are any questions, they need clarifications or to inquire about status updates of their registrations.

Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available for eligible applicants. SBA helps businesses of all sizes (including landlords), private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or damaged personal property. Disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries.

For more information, individuals may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.

For more information on North Carolina’s recovery, visit the disaster Web page at https://www.fema.gov/disaster/3380, Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website, http://www.ncdps.gov/.

Beware of Fraud

Both FEMA and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office are warning North Carolina residents of the risk of fraud and common scams in the wake of the severe weather. Common post-disaster fraud practices include phony housing inspectors, fraudulent building contractors, bogus pleas for disaster donations and fake offers of state or federal aid. North Carolinians are urged to ask questions, and to require identification when someone claims to represent a government agency.

Survivors should also keep in mind that state and federal workers never ask for or accept money, and always carry identification badges with a photograph. There is no fee required to apply for or to receive disaster assistance from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) or the state. Additionally, no state or federal government disaster assistance agency will call to ask for your financial account information. Unless you place a call to the agency yourself, you should not provide personal information over the phone as it can lead to identity theft.

Those who suspect fraud can call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 (toll free). Complaints may also be made to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-877-566-7226.

Background

When the U.S. President declares a major disaster, FEMA, in cooperation with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, helps to establish a toll-free number for disaster survivors to request legal assistance. Funding for the toll-free line comes from FEMA under the authority of Section 415 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 100-707). The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division in turn partners with state bar associations and other legal organizations to recruit volunteer lawyers in affected areas to handle survivors’ cases. In North Carolina, the partners utilize the hotline offered by the North Carolina Bar Association, which provides legal information and referrals for civil legal issues. Survivors should be aware that there are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a local lawyer referral service. To determine whether an issue qualifies for free legal assistance, individuals should call 1-800-310-7029 to determine whether a particular issue qualifies.

Partner Organizations

The following organizations have joined forces to establish a toll-free phone line for North Carolina Hurricane Florence survivors to request free legal assistance, and to provide volunteer attorneys to handle cases arising from hurricane related damage.

North Carolina Bar Association

The North Carolina Bar Association is a voluntary organization of lawyers, paralegals and law students dedicated to serving the public and the legal profession. The NCBA has established a special website devoted to disaster-related resources: www.ncbar.org/florence/.

Legal Aid of North Carolina

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, non-profit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

The ABA YLD, the largest national organization of young lawyers, provides leadership in serving the public and the profession, and promotes excellence and fulfillment in the practice of law. Its parent organization, the ABA, is the national voice of the legal profession and one of the largest voluntary professional membership groups in the world.

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA coordinates the federal government’s role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. Through an agreement with the American Bar Association, FEMA underwrites the cost of operating toll free legal assistance lines for survivors in areas designated as federal disaster sites.

National Disaster Legal Aid Online

NDLA (available at: disasterlegalaid.org) is a collaborative effort of Lone Star Legal Aid, the American Bar Association, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Pro Bono Net.

United Policyholders

United Policyholders (UP) (www.uphelp.org) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) consumer advocacy group that specializes in helping disaster survivors with insurance claim issues. UP also trains case managers and legal aid lawyers to assist clients with insurance and disaster recovery matters.

Contacts

Topic: Disaster Relief

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CLINIC CALENDAR
Sat, Jan 12 · New Bern

Craven Community College
800 College Court

Morning: 9:30 am – 12 pm
Afternoon: 12:30 pm – 4 pm

Sat, Feb 9 · Wilmington

Cape Fear Community College
Union Station Building
502 North Front Street

Morning: 9:30 am – 12 pm
Afternoon: 12:30 pm – 4 pm

Sat, Feb 23 · Morehead City

Carteret Community College
3505 Arendell Street

Morning: 9:30 am – 12 pm
Afternoon: 12:30 pm – 4 pm

REGISTER ONLINE

RALEIGH · December 19, 2018 – Pro bono attorneys will help Hurricane Florence survivors file FEMA appeals and reconsiderations at free Saturday clinics on Jan. 12 in New Bern, Feb. 9 in Wilmington and Feb. 23 in Morehead City. See sidebar for details.

Florence survivors have the right to appeal FEMA’s decision if it denied their application for assistance, or if they believe they are eligible for additional assistance. Survivors must appeal in writing – not by email – within 60 days of the date on their FEMA decision letter.

Survivors whose appeal has already been denied can still ask FEMA to reconsider its decision if they can present compelling new evidence, like a late-arriving letter from their insurance company, to support their claim.

Survivors who want to file an appeal or reconsideration can attend these clinics to learn more about their rights and get free help from a North Carolina pro bono attorney.

The clinics will start with an educational presentation given by an attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina, followed by confidential, one-on-one meetings with pro bono attorneys recruited by the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center and the North Carolina Bar Foundation. The clinics are funded by a grant from the North Carolina State Bar’s IOLTA program and coordinated by the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center.

At the clinics, the pro bono attorneys will help survivors figure out why FEMA made its decision and if they are eligible to file an appeal or reconsideration. For eligible survivors, the attorneys will help them prepare and send in their request.

Survivors must register in advance to meet with a pro bono attorney at no cost. Survivors can register for free at ncprobono.org/assistance. No registration is required to attend the educational presentation.

Survivors who register to meet with a pro bono attorney should bring with them all their relevant documents and a photo ID.

“You don’t need a lawyer to file a FEMA appeal, but having one definitely helps. The process can seem daunting, especially for those who are still struggling to recover. Having an expert by your side can take away a lot of that stress,” Lesley Albritton, head of Legal Aid NC’s disaster relief efforts, said.

“North Carolina lawyers have really stepped up to the plate to help Florence survivors,” Katherine Asaro, staff attorney with the North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, said.

“These volunteers will provide a service that is critical to helping survivors get back on their feet, and it’s one that many couldn’t afford otherwise. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity. We are also very excited about partnering with local community colleges on this project,” she said.

# # #

Media contacts

  • Sean Driscoll, Director of Public Relations, Legal Aid of North Carolina, 919-856-2132, seand@legalaidnc.org
  • Katherine Asaro, Staff Attorney, North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center, 919-890-1097, katherine@ncprobono.org

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Learn more at legalaidnc.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center recruits, trains, supports, and promotes lawyers who provide pro bono legal services in civil cases to North Carolinians with unmet legal needs. Learn more at ncprobono.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Topic: Disaster Relief

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Legal Aid NC has a long history of addressing the legal needs of disaster victims. We know that survivors of Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael face a long road to a full recovery.

We know something else, too: Though it may not be obvious, the plights of domestic violence victims and storm survivors are surprisingly similar.

Let’s begin with the anxiety people feel when they first hear that a hurricane is heading their way. Domestic violence victims also experience a high level of anxiety about their partner’s unpredictable “stormy” behavior, which often leaves a path of destruction in the form of threats, severe harassment, and physical and sexual abuse.

Once violence seems imminent, both groups face a choice: Do I stay, or do I leave?

Domestic violence victims can face the same challenges to leaving. When their abusers often control them to such an extent that they have no access to money or a car, their options for finding a new place to live – moving into a shelter with strangers, packing themselves and their kids into a family member’s home – can seem grim at best or nonexistent at worst.

For domestic violence victims and storm survivors, the inability to escape or evacuate can be fatal. Since 2010, an average of more than 100 North Carolinians have been murdered in domestic violence incidents every year, according to statistics from the N.C. Department of Public Safety. That’s more than double the combined death toll from Florence and Michael.

There’s an economic toll, too. A 2014 study from UNC Charlotte found that domestic violence costs North Carolinians $307 million a year in lost productivity, health care costs, court and police costs, and more. That’s less than the economic damage caused by Florence and Michael – most estimates are in the billions – but the costs from these storms will zero out over time. Not so with domestic violence.

Thankfully, critical short- and long-term services are available for domestic violence victims and storm survivors, and Legal Aid of North Carolina is a front-line service provider for both groups. You can find out more about our Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Project, and our Battered Immigrant Project, which offer free legal assistance to victims, by visiting the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault section of our website, or calling our Helpline. Disaster survivors can get help by visiting the Disaster Relief section of our website, visiting a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center to meet our staff, or by calling N.C.’s toll-free Disaster Legal Services Hotline at 1-833-242-3549 or 1-866-219-5262.

For domestic violence victims, access to civil legal aid has been proven to be one of the most significant factors leading to a decline in violence. Last year, Legal Aid of North Carolina provided critical legal services to more than 6,500 victims.

We represent victims at court hearings for domestic violence protective orders, help them secure custody of their children, handle housing and immigration issues, and more. We know that domestic violence is a complex problem, and our goal is to provide whatever legal services are necessary to stop the violence.

Critical to the success of our advocacy for domestic violence victims is the support of our partners, including the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, local domestic violence and sexual assault agencies, the Governor’s Crime Commission and the North Carolina Council for Women and Youth Involvement.

Topic: Disaster Relief

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Partnership between Legal Aid of North Carolina, ECU Brody School of Medicine, Vidant Health, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation highlights health and social effects of storms

RALEIGH, May 31, 2017 – June 1 marks the start of hurricane season, a troubling reality for the people of eastern North Carolina who are still dealing with the aftermath of last October’s Hurricane Matthew.

The effects of hurricanes linger long after their waters recede, particularly the long-term health impacts. Those concerns drive a new partnership – focusing on communities impacted by Hurricane Matthew – between Legal Aid of North Carolina, the East Carolina University (ECU) Brody School of Medicine, and Vidant Health. This effort is funded in part by a $375,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (Blue Cross NC Foundation).

Damage from wind and rising waters is often the most visible devastation of hurricanes, yet it is the residual health effects brought about by the water damage that can go unnoticed, except by those who live in homes still damp with mold and the health care providers who see them for related illness, such as asthma. However, treating the health conditions of those impacted by storm-related environmental hazards is only part of the solution. Addressing the source of the problem is also critical. 

“Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that makes it difficult to breathe,” said Dr. Greg Kearney of ECU’s Department of Public Health. “For many people with asthma, avoiding environmental ‘triggers’ like exposure to mold inside the home is important to decrease their risk of having an asthma attack. Most people don’t realize that eastern North Carolina has the highest rates of childhood asthma in the state, accompanied by a high percentage of poor quality rental housing. As we get into the hot summer months, homes that were impacted by flooding from Hurricane Matthew and not properly repaired may start to show visible signs of mold inside the home. This could pose a serious threat for people with asthma and allergies.” 

ECU and Vidant Health are partners in the Eastern Carolina Asthma Prevention Program (ECAPP), which focuses on low-cost approaches people can take to reduce asthma triggers in their homes. A big challenge for the program has been that renters, particularly those who live in communities with few affordable housing options, have little control over many of the most significant contributors to unhealthy housing conditions, like:

  • mold caused by roof leaks
  • damp foundations
  • inadequate ventilation

Many renters are unable to persuade their landlords to make necessary repairs or worry that their requests will lead to retaliatory eviction, which is prohibited in North Carolina. 

This is the basis for the collaboration with Legal Aid’s Medical-Legal Partnership program, a nationally-established model built on the recognition that good health depends on many non-medical factors that occur outside the walls of clinics and hospitals. It connects low-income patients who are dealing with difficult and stressful situations – such as unsafe rental housing, wrongful evictions, and improper denial of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), food assistance, or other safety-net services – to resources to seek legal remedies, using the health care provider as the primary referral source.

As a result of this initiative, medical providers in ECAPP will now have a direct resource for patients in need of legal intervention for a variety of problems that may have been caused by or made worse by Hurricane Matthew. The program expects to serve families in Vidant’s 29-county service area, with assistance from legal advocates from Legal Aid offices located throughout the eastern part of the state, including those in Greenville, Wilson, Ahoskie, and Wilmington.

“The Vidant Medical Center Pediatric Asthma Program has been caring for children with asthma through case management, patient and family education, and care standardization for more than 20 years. Case management is trained to identify unhealthy living conditions that can negatively impact a child’s asthma and overall health status,” said Theresa Blount, coordinator for the award-winning Pediatric Asthma Program. “This partnership enhances our ability to secure unique resources for children suffering with asthma in order for them to live healthier and more productive lives.”

It is the link between housing conditions and health that made this effort so appealing to the Blue Cross NC Foundation, as they looked for an opportunity to support communities impacted by Hurricane Matthew.

“We know that improving health doesn’t just mean improving access to health care,” said Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross NC Foundation. “Health is built in our homes, in our communities, in our environments. For many of the most vulnerable North Carolinians, Matthew was not the first natural disaster to impact their lives, and it won’t be the last. This partnership focuses on improving the environmental, social, and economic devastation caused by storms.” 

Based on experience, Legal Aid anticipates that it could take six to seven years for Matthew-related legal assistance needs to subside. As the program develops it will expand to focus on other social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, domestic violence, and benefits eligibility, many of which are likely to be identified by ECAPP staff who visit families in their homes.

“Many communities in rural, eastern North Carolina were already burdened, before Hurricane Matthew’s devastating impact, with chronically-high rates of extreme poverty and inadequate access to many of the resources that are essential for health and economic opportunity,” said George R. Hausen, Jr., executive director of Legal Aid of North Carolina. “Disaster recovery efforts require strategic, long-term investments from every part of our state. By working with our collaborators from ECAPP, we hope to be able to remediate the unmet legal needs of many of Vidant Health’s most vulnerable, low-income patients and that our collaboration will result in better health outcomes for patients and communities throughout eastern North Carolina.”

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About Legal Aid of North Carolina
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity.

About the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University is nationally recognized for preparing primary care physicians who practice in medically underserved communities. All those admitted are North Carolina residents and the majority of its graduates practice primary care in North Carolina. Brody’s research includes a strong focus on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and preventive care. Brody partners with Vidant Health to provide a teaching hospital, sharing faculty physicians in broad service areas such as critical care, surgery, emergency care, and trauma. It also operates ECU Physicians, the clinical practice for the Brody School of Medicine.

About Vidant Health
Vidant Health is a mission-driven, 1,439-bed health system that annually serves more than 1.4 million people in 29 eastern North Carolina counties. The not-for-profit system is made up of 12,000 employees, eight hospitals, home health, hospice, wellness centers, and Vidant Medical Group, a multispecialty physician and provider group with more than 420 providers in 80 practice sites. Vidant Health is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. As a major resource for health services and education, Vidant Health has a mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina. For more information, visit www.vidanthealth.com.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) Foundation is an independent, charitable foundation with the mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolinians. Since its founding in 2000, Blue Cross NC Foundation has invested more than $113 million in North Carolina communities through more than 870 grants. Blue Cross NC Foundation grantmaking and special initiatives are focused in three key areas: improving health outcomes of populations served by safety net organizations; increasing physical activity and access to healthy, local foods; and increasing the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations and their leaders. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. More information is available at bcbsncfoundation.org.

Contacts

Sean Driscoll, Legal Aid North Carolina, seand@legalaidnc.org, 919.856.2132

Amy Adams Ellis, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, ELLISA14@ecu.edu, 252.744.3764

Amy Holcombe, Vidant Health, Amy.Holcombe@vidanthealth.com, 252.847.2725

Amon Marstiller, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation amon.marstiller@bcbsncfoundation.org, 919.451.0096