More Than $218 Million Approved For Southern California Wildfire Recovery
Release Date: February 3, 2004
Release Number: 1498-065
» More Information on California Wildfires
PASADENA, Calif. -- Three months after deadly firestorms roared through Southern California, federal and state officials have approved more than $218 million to help residents, business owners, local government agencies and non-profit organizations recover from the wildfires and prepare for future disasters.
To date, more than 40,500 residents and business owners have registered for aid since the fires swept through Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.
The total number of applicants includes those directly affected by the fires as well as those whose property was damaged by the Christmas Day storms. Eligibility for storm assistance is based on whether mudflows, debris flows and flooding that caused the damage was directly related to wildfires stripping vegetation from the surrounding watershed in designated areas of San Bernardino County.
The deadline for fire victims to apply was Jan. 9; those who suffered losses because of fire-related mudflows and flooding have until March 14, 2004 to register.
The growing amount of disaster funding approved to date comes from several federal and state agencies, among them the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the California Department of Social Services (DSS).
Federal and state disaster assistance covers basic needs only and will not normally compensate for an individual's entire loss. For applicants and business owners who have insurance, federal and state programs may help pay for basic needs not covered by an insurance policy.
The following is a summary of federal and state disaster assistance:
Human Services--FEMA has approved more than $30 million in grants for temporary housing, minor home repairs, personal property loss and other needs such as medical, dental or transportation expenses, crisis counseling, disaster legal assistance, disaster unemployment assistance.
Disaster loans - The SBA has approved $156.3 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and business owners.
Supplemental Assistance - The California Department of Social Services has approved and provided 232 State Supplemental Grants totaling more than $1 million. The grants go to disaster victims who already had received the $25,600 maximum allowed by FEMA but still had losses not covered by insurance or other programs.
Hazard Mitigation - FEMA will provide an estimated $14 million to the state to distribute for projects that will reduce or eliminate future disaster damages. Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), state and local agencies and eligible non-profit organizations may submit proposals to the state for consideration under their established priorities.
Public Assistance - FEMA has approved more than $3.7 million in public assistance grants to state and local agencies and certain non-profit organizations for debris removal, emergency protective measures and repair of disaster-damaged infrastructure.
Other Federal Assistance - $14.3 million have been approved for mission assignments and recovery support. This includes, for example, program support, work done by the Department of Defense, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the American Red Cross and the State of California.
Although the deadline for wildfire applications was Jan. 9, help is still available for applicants to complete the process. Questions can be directed to the toll-free FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
Fraud Prevention - People who made a mistake when reporting damage or may have misrepresented their losses have the opportunity to correct or cancel their claim. Individuals may call the Helpline at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) to withdraw or correct an application and prevent prosecution. Anyone who knows of someone who has filed false damage claims or perpetrated any other disaster-related fraud may report the incident to the Fraud Hotline at 1-800-323-8603.
Making false statements to a FEMA inspector is a prosecutable offense under Title 18 of the United States Code. Potential cases of fraud or misuse are referred to the U.S. Justice Department for prosecution. Penalties for felony offenses include severe criminal and civil penalties, including a fine of up to $250,000, imprisonment or both.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government's primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
The Governor's Office of Emergency Services coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring California's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade and war-caused emergencies and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
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: Wednesday, 04-Feb-2004 09:35:38