Gustav Disaster Aid Nearly $1.5 Million Thus Far
Release Date: October 7, 2008
Release Number: 1794-006
» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Gustav
LONG BEACH, Miss. -- Nearly $1.5 million in disaster aid has been approved for residents of five Mississippi counties since those counties were declared eligible for Individual Assistance (IA) less than two weeks ago, officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency announced today.
The IA grants were approved to provide funding to help cover housing and other serious, necessary disaster-related expenses related to Hurricane Gustav damages that occurred during the period Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, 2008.
The counties designated eligible for IA are Adams, Hancock, Harrison, Washington and Wilkinson.
Of the amount approved, $1,266,413 was for housing assistance and $180,124 for other disaster-related needs. As of Oct. 6, rental assistance has been approved for 243 applicants.
"We are pleased with the way Mississippians who need disaster assistance have applied so far," said Michael L. Parker, FEMA's federal coordinating officer. "Residents who sustained damage during Hurricane Gustav and who have not applied for assistance should do so immediately."
To apply, call FEMA's toll-free number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), and provide some basic information about the damaged property. The hearing- or speech-impaired should call TTY 1-800-462-7585. Multilingual assistance is available.
FEMA cautions storm victims not to disqualify themselves because they have insurance. Often people learn later that they are underinsured and would have been better financially protected if they had applied for disaster assistance. Those who sustained damage should apply to FEMA whether they are insured or not. FEMA then can make the determination if disaster assistance is appropriate.
After applying, a FEMA inspector will visit the damaged property to make an evaluation to determine eligibility for assistance. Currently, inspectors are inspecting properties within three days of registration.
"Storm victims should not hesitate to register for federal and state disaster aid," said MEMA Director Mike Womack. "This assistance can be in the form of reimbursement for rental payments, grants for home repair or to replace personal property. It is not welfare; it is your tax dollars at work."
More than 3,170 storm victims from the five-county area declared for individual disaster assistance have registered. The county breakdown is as follows:
Adams 482, Hancock 598, Harrison 665, Washington 1,364, Wilkinson 63
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued 1,598 disaster loan applications to storm victims, 1,313 to homeowners and renters and 282 to business owners. A homeowner or renter must submit an SBA disaster loan application in order to be considered for additional assistance under FEMA's Other Needs Assistance (ONA) program. If SBA determines that a homeowner or renter cannot afford a loan, they will be referred to FEMA for possible grant assistance.
To date, 476 individuals have visited FEMA/MEMA's three Disaster Recovery Centers to check on the status of their applications or to inquire about the various disaster-aid programs.
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.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 08-Oct-2008 01:28:45