LAURINBURG — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a 31-day extension for Hurricane Matthew survivors to apply for federal disaster assistance.

North Carolina has requested more time for registration because of the number of counties added for Individual Assistance several weeks after the original Oct. 10 presidential disaster declaration.

Scotland County residents now have until Jan. 9 to register with FEMA. This new deadline also applies to homeowners, renters and businesses submitting applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To date, FEMA has received 74,410 applications from North Carolina residents and has approved $$77,376 in aid for Scotland County’s 413 applicants.

Though 45 counties were designated as eligible for individual assistance, two counties — Robeson and Cumberland — comprise a lion’s share of the $77.8 million approved for North Carolina. Residents in Robeson County have been approved for $$20.4 million in aid, and Cumberland victims will be seeing at least $12.9 million. Designations for other nearby counties include $649,628 for Hoke, $278,351 for Moore and $62,267 for Richmond.

The other eligible counties include Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Sampson, Tyrrell, Wake, Washington, Wayne and Wilson counties.

FEMA officials said registering with the agency is the first step to federal disaster assistance.

To register online, go to DisasterAssistance.gov. There is also a FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

People may also visit a Disaster Recovery Center for help with applications for federal assistance, to learn about the types of assistance available, the appeals process and updates regarding applications. All centers are staffed with representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, North Carolina Emergency Management and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The nearest center to Scotland County is in Lumberton at the former Kmart at 2750 N. Roberts Avenue.

The hours at Disaster Recovery Centers will change beginning on Saturday. All centers will operate Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To locate an open center, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362, use the ReadyNC and FEMA mobile apps or go online to FEMA.gov/DRC or readync.org.

FEMA representatives continue to encourage applicants who receive a disaster loan application from the Small Business Administration to complete and return the SBA application, even if they don’t want a loan. Filling out the application keeps the federal assistance process moving.

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to help homeowners and renters, as well as businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations to cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. The loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance and do not duplicate other benefits. Thus far, SBA has approved $32.5 million in loans to victims of Hurricane Matthew.

Residents interested in obtaining a loan may do so by calling 800-659-2955, by emailing [email protected], or by visiting www.sba.gov/disaster

According to recovery officials, fraud unfortunately follows many disasters. FEMA representatives ask residents to remember the following guidelines:

— There is no fee required to apply for, or to receive disaster assistance from, FEMA. There is also no fee to schedule or obtain a housing inspection from FEMA.

— FEMA does not endorse any commercial businesses, products or services.

— FEMA does not charge for its services.

— All federal employees have an official badge/ID. Ask to see it.

Anyone who suspects fraud should call the North Carolina consumer hotline at 877-566-7226 or FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721.

Scott Witten

[email protected]

Reach Scott Witten at 910-506-3023