Disaster Aid Nears $38 Million
Release Date: June 27, 2003
Release Number: 1464-74
» More Information on Tennessee Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
Nashville, TN -- Nearly $38 million in state and federal aid has been disbursed to Tennessee residents and businesses since May's onslaught of storms, tornadoes and flooding was declared a federal disaster.
Disaster assistance in Tennessee includes these totals:
- To date, 12,032 applicants have registered for state and FEMA aid by calling
1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or 1-800-462-7585 (TDD) for the hearing or speech impaired. Registration lines are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- $37.8 million in disaster aid has been disbursed to eligible residents and businesses in grants and loans.
- $7.6 million of the total is for Disaster Housing assistance grants.
- $11.6 million is for individual and household grants to help meet essential needs not covered by insurance or other programs.
o $18.6 million is for U.S. Small Business Administration loans to homeowners, renters and businesses. ($11 million for home loans, $6.4 million for business loans, and $1.2 million for economic injury loans)
- $7.6 million of the total is for Disaster Housing assistance grants.
- So far 7,841 residents have reported property damage, and FEMA staff has completed 7,635 inspections of damaged property.
- Seventy-three of the state's 95 counties are eligible for disaster assistance.
- 4,655 residents visited state-FEMA disaster recovery centers staffed by disaster specialists to answer applicants' questions. The center in Jackson converted this week to a loan application assistance center operated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, but FEMA staff are still there to help applicants.
- Public Assistance reimbursement for local governments and agencies is expected to exceed $54 million. To date, 215 governments and agencies have asked for aid.
- Additional funding has been approved to help the state provide:
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
- Crisis Counseling for individuals and families to help with anxiety, grief and other emotional reactions in the aftermath of the disaster.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
- Mitigation assistance teams are providing information to citizens on becoming disaster resistant by building safer and better, constructing tornado shelters, protecting health and safety, and reducing flood risk to their property. The community outreach teams have counseled more than 6,000 people to date. The teams are working in four cities into next month:
Antioch
Home Depot
1155 Bell Road
Through June 28Chattanooga
Home Depot
6421 Perimeter
June 29-July 5Hixson
Lowe's
5428 Highway 153
July 6-12Murfreesboro
Lowe's
1825 Old Fort Parkway
Through June 28
Last Modified: Friday, 27-Jun-2003 16:52:09