Release Date: November 12, 2003
Release Number: 1485-24
» More Information on Pennsylvania Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Federal and state assistance to northern and western Pennsylvania counties affected by severe storms and flooding this summer has topped $8 million, according to disaster recovery officials. The total for all disaster programs is $8,292,968, officials said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had received 1,318 applications from disaster victims in 11 designated counties.
Individuals and Households program grants totaled $2,082,547 as of the close of business on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Of that total, $1,779,838 was for housing assistance and $302,708 was for Other Needs Assistance.
Disaster housing assistance provides grants for alternate rental housing, or emergency repairs to make a residence livable. Disaster housing assistance helps people meet housing needs until they can make arrangements for permanent repairs, through insurance, loans or from other sources. Other Needs Assistance helps families who cannot afford a low-interest loan to meet serious disaster-related costs not covered by other disaster aid or insurance.
The U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loan program has approved the following loans to people who can afford a loan and to businesses:
Homeowners, renters or business owners in a designated county may apply for federal and state disaster assistance until Nov. 18, 2003. They can apply by calling the toll-free registration number, 1-800-621-3362. For those with a speech or hearing impairment, the number is 1-800-462-7585 (TTY). Both lines are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Residents in 11 counties are eligible for individual assistance under President Bush's major disaster declaration of Sept. 18. They are Blair, Crawford, Lackawanna, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Tioga, Venango, Warren and Wayne.
Registrations and grants by county are:
County
|
Total Registrations
|
Housing Assistance
|
Other Needs Assistance
|
Total Assistance
|
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eligible
|
Approved
|
Eligible
|
Approved
|
Eligible
|
Approved
|
||
Blair |
141
|
105
|
$203,247
|
36
|
$20,768
|
110
|
$224,015
|
Crawford |
58
|
31
|
$93,276
|
10
|
$14,055
|
33
|
$107,331
|
Lackawanna |
413
|
267
|
$660,127
|
121
|
$128,651
|
288
|
$788,778
|
Lawrence |
236
|
155
|
$303,825
|
65
|
$44,995
|
164
|
$348,820
|
McKean |
71
|
28
|
$63,100
|
7
|
$8,165
|
28
|
$71,265
|
Mercer |
126
|
81
|
$168,315
|
23
|
$38,271
|
86
|
$206,587
|
Potter |
36
|
7
|
$19,681
|
4
|
$1,394
|
9
|
$21,076
|
Tioga |
33
|
13
|
$30,226
|
3
|
$2,756
|
14
|
$32,982
|
Venango |
69
|
24
|
$68,804
|
11
|
$27,377
|
28
|
$96,182
|
Warren |
75
|
30
|
$93,267
|
10
|
$10,905
|
33
|
$104,172
|
Wayne |
60
|
28
|
$75,970
|
3
|
$5,370
|
28
|
$81,340
|
TOTAL |
1,318
|
769
|
$1,779,838
|
293
|
$302,707
|
821
|
$2,082,548
|
Public Assistance
The Public Assistance Program has obligated a total of $5,100,320 to help state agencies and local governments in 13 counties to repair damage and meet other expenses from the storms. The breakdown is as follows:
State agencies Clarion County Crawford County Forest County Lackawanna County Lawrence County McKean County Mercer County Potter County Tioga County Venango County Warren County Wayne County Wyoming County |
$1,185,753 $ 317,572 $ 472,654 $ 64,411 $ 94,310 $ 247,621 $ 285,569 $ 617,102 $ 270,299 $ 244,245 $ 923,616 $ 293,018 $ 80,319 $ 3,831 |
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: Friday, 14-Nov-2003 12:43:08