Marion County Eligible For Disaster Assistance 

Release Date: July 30, 2003
Release Number: 1474-79

» More Information on West Virginia Severe Storms, Flooding and Landslides

Charleston, WV -- Residents of Marion County who suffered losses from the severe storms, flooding, and landslides that occurred between June 11 and July 15, 2003 may be eligible for disaster assistance.

Louis Botta, federal coordinating officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said the assistance was approved based on a review of damages gathered by federal, state and local disaster recovery officials. "We remain committed to making sure that all qualified people get the help they need," said Botta.

The designation means that residents of Marion County are eligible to apply for a variety of programs, including disaster housing assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low- interest disaster loans to repair or replace storm-damaged property or awards for serious needs and necessary expenses not met by other programs.

Marion joins the counties of Berkeley, Boone, Cabell, Doddridge, Harrison, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, McDowell, Mingo, Monongalia, Nicholas, Preston, Putnam, Ritchie, Wayne and Wyoming, which are already eligible for individual disaster assistance under the June 21, 2003 disaster declaration.

Affected homeowners, renters, and business owners may apply for assistance by calling the toll-free teleregistration number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Those with speech or hearing impairments may call TTY 1-800-462-7585.

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 Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Thursday, 31-Jul-2003 08:42:58