Heard And Wilkes Counties Now Eligible For Ivan Aid
Release Date: September 30, 2004
Release Number: 1554-013
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ATLANTA, Ga. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that disaster assistance has been made available for Heard and Wilkes Counties to help local governments recover from the effects of Hurricane Ivan.
Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, said the counties were added to the list of eligible jurisdictions based on a review of damage data gathered by federal and state disaster recovery officials.
Heard and Wilkes counties are now eligible for federal funding to pay the state and affected local governments and certain private non-profit organizations 75 percent of the approved costs for the restoration of damaged facilities. The funding also covers eligible state and local government costs for debris removal and emergency services related to the disaster. The following 24 counties were designated previously: Banks, Carroll, Cherokee, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Early, Elbert, Fannin, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Habersham, Harris, Lumpkin, Madison, Miller, Pickens, Rabun, Towns, Union, and White.
“Ensuring that vital community services are restored as quickly as possible is part of our continuing commitment to help Georgia achieve a full recovery,” said FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer, Nick Russo.
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 initiate proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Friday, 01-Oct-2004 09:23:00