Maryland Disaster Aid Nearing $100 Million
Release Date: December 12, 2003
Release Number: 1492-81
» More Information on Maryland Hurricane Isabel
BALTIMORE, Md. -- residents have received almost $100 million in disaster aid since September 19, when the state was declared a federal disaster area due to Hurricane Isabel.
According to state and federal officials from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the money represents more than $20.8 million in housing assistance, and $8 million in assistance for other needs such as personal property, transportation and medical expenses, $53.4 million in low interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and more than $16.9 million in funds to rebuild infrastructure.
The following is a summary of the response and recovery activity since President Bush declared the state eligible for federal disaster assistance on September 19.
- December 8 was the deadline to apply for disaster assistance.
- 17,855 applications for individual assistance were received during the open application period from residents in the 23 declared counties and the city of Baltimore.
- $20,896,255 has been disbursed to residents to assist with temporary housing and home repairs.
- $8,018,293 in Other Needs Assistance, which provides money for necessary expenses and serious needs not covered by insurance such as medical, dental, funeral, personal property or transportation, has been disbursed.
- 11,738 property inspections have been completed.
- 14,595 applications for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans have been issued.
- $53,447,200 in disaster assistance loans has been approved.
- More than 8,800 people have visited FEMA/MEMA/Local Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) while they were open.
- $16,943,000 has been approved for projects to rebuild Maryland’s infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Isabel.
- $722,000 in direct federal aid for specific response and recovery projects.
- To assist those with temporary housing needs, FEMA and the state have provided interim housing by setting up 192 travel trailers and three mobile homes on approved sites with 188 units now occupied.
- The Disaster Recovery Center, 801 Back River Neck Road, in Essex will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, December 13, and Monday, December 15; closed Sunday. The DRC will end operations at 5 p.m. Monday, December 15.
Individuals who have applied for disaster assistance from FEMA and have questions about their application may call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The toll-free hotline for Maryland Department of Human Resources is 1-888-756-7836, for individuals who may need assistance from local or state departments or agencies. Those with questions about their insurance may call the Maryland Insurance Administration at 1-800-492-6116.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 12-Dec-2003 11:35:31