Hurricanes Frances And Charley Daily Summary For September 14, 2004 

Release Date: September 14, 2004
Release Number: 1539-108

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» More Information on Florida Hurricane Frances

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tomorrow, September 15, is the last day to register for disaster unemployment assistance for people who are unemployed as a direct result of Hurricane Charley. This disaster program includes the self-employed, farmers, farm workers, and others who normally do not qualify for regular unemployment assistance. Those affected can register at their local unemployment office, and do not have to call the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) registration line. The disaster unemployment assistance hotline is 1-800-204-2418.

The state of Florida and the FEMA have put staff, emergency supplies, ice, water, food, and emergency medical resources in place as Hurricane Ivan apparently heads for Florida.

At the same time, registrations for assistance from FEMA from various disasters across the nation reached a new one-day record. A total of 36,125 registrations were taken Monday at FEMA’s call centers, which are operating around the clock. The toll-free teleregistration line is 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA), and the TTY number for those with speech and hearing impairments is 1-800-462-7585.

In the meantime, assistance to Florida hurricane victims has reached more than $178 million as of the close of business on Monday, up $12 million since the day before. To date, $104 million in housing assistance has been approved for residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

To date, 353,716 Florida applicants have registered for assistance with FEMA, an increase of 22,099 over the day before.

Those damaged by both hurricanes Charley and Frances may register for assistance under both disaster declarations. People already registered for Charley who suffered additional damage from Frances must call again for a review of new damages. Those who get a busy message are encouraged to be persistent and try their call again in several hours.

Another resource for those looking for information, or frustrated by dealing with the recovery, is the Project Hope hotline, 1-866-518-1825. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Coast Guard repair teams and buoy tenders have been working to repair or replace the more than 750 navigational aids damaged by Frances and Charley, which is key to keeping ports and waterways safe.

The Coast Guard has also coordinated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to survey and repair those ports and channels most severely impacted.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service assigned six Incident Management Teams to Florida in response to Hurricane Frances and the approaching Hurricane Ivan. Missions include managing, receiving and distributing supplies, assisting with shelter management for special needs patients, and feeding and housing for affected residents and emergency workers throughout the state.

More than $73 million in state and federal assistance has been approved to replace essential personal property and meet other uninsured needs.

To date, 130,877 housing inspections have been completed.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $40.7 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses.

Four FEMA Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are in the field and one in staging, and to date they have treated 1,354 patients.

A total of 7.5 million cubic yards of debris has been cleared.

More than 900 FEMA/State Community Relations field officers are going door-to-door in affected areas to distribute information on disaster assistance and advise people on how to get help.

FEMA has deployed 3,567 personnel to assist with the recovery.

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief effort.

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: Tuesday, 14-Sep-2004 14:07:05