Mississippi/FEMA Expedited Assistance
Release Date: September 9, 2005
Release Number: 1604-012
» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina
Jackson, MS - The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has already approved $50 million to help more than 100,000 Mississippi residents start recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
The expedited assistance program is one of the ways FEMA is helping pay for immediate disaster related needs such as food, shelter, clothing and personal necessities. Families displaced by Hurricane Katrina may qualify for $2,000 in assistance now.
The first step to qualify for federal assistance is to register with FEMA by either going online to www.fema.gov or calling FEMA's toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) -- TTY 800-462-7585. Disaster victims who have access to the internet are encouraged to register on-line due to the high-call volume. Phone lines are open 24-hours, seven days a week.
Expedited assistance may be only part of the funds available to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees. The payment is an advance on the total assistance many people may be eligible to receive. Going through the normal eligibility process often results in further financial assistance.
Mississippians will receive their expedited assistance by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or a check mailed to their temporary address. The quickest way is EFT - depositing the funds directly into a bank account. A third method, debit cards, is being used to target the largest shelter populations in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas, Texas, and represents a small percentage of the actual expedited assistance being distributed by FEMA.
Emergency funds distributed through debit cards do not provide victims with more assistance than what others may get; it is an additional delivery method to help those who are unable to access bank accounts or mail delivery. The number of people who will be eligible for the debit card will be extremely limited.
Nearly $460 million in expedited aid to individuals has been provided FEMA in the 48 hours since the agency activated the expedited assistance program. More than 230,000 eligible displaced individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina are receiving the $2,000 payments. Payments have been made to displaced individuals in all 50 states, and the District of Columbia where victims of Hurricane Katrina have evacuated.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages the federal response and recovery efforts following an incident of national significance. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, workers with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 13-Oct-2005 06:19:02