Nearly $17.5 Million Approved
Release Date: October 17, 2008
Release Number: 1795-027
» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms and Flooding
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Nearly $17.5 million in federal disaster assistance grants and loans has been approved so far by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Indiana residents who were affected by the recent storms and flooding from Sept. 12 through Oct. 6.
To date, 18,313 homeowners and renters from the 16 previously designated counties have applied for disaster assistance.
- $17,451,900 in grants has been approved for Indiana applicants, which includes:
- $14,934,638 in housing assistance to cover temporary rental assistance, home repairs and replacement.
- $2,517,262 in other needs assistance to cover essential personal property losses, medical, dental, funeral, transportation or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance.
- 25,045 residents have visited Disaster Recovery Centers.
- $2,793,900 in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans has been approved for disaster assistance applicants.
- 10,419 SBA disaster loan applications have been issued to homeowners and 1,500 to business owners.
The presidential disaster declaration of September 23 for Indiana was amended on October 16 to include the following counties for Individual Assistance: Floyd, Perry, Scott and Washington. Qualified residents in 20 counties are now eligible for individual assistance from FEMA. Designated counties include: Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Martin, Perry, Pike, Porter, Scott, Spencer, Switzerland and Washington.
The following disaster recovery center locations will be open until future notice:
-
LaPorte Parks and Recreation Dept., 250 Pine Lake Ave.,
Open Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CLOSED SUNDAYS. -
Manuszczak Appliance Store, 9450 Calumet Ave., Munster 46321
Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., CLOSED SUNDAYS. -
Ivy Tech Community College, 1440 East 35th Ave., Gary 46409
Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., CLOSED SUNDAYS. - Valparaiso Fire Dept. #2, 2605 Cumberland Drive, Valparaiso 46383
Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., CLOSED SUNDAYS.
After the disaster, many people filled out damage reports with state or local emergency agencies. Many thought they were registering with FEMA, but they were not. To be considered for federal aid, you must apply to FEMA by phone or online at www.fema.gov. If you haven't contacted FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), you are not registered for disaster assistance through FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). For those with hearing or speech impairments the TTY number is 1-800-462-7585. You can register 24 hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual phone operators are available at all times.
The Oct. 16 amendment made the following 14 counties eligible for Public Assistance: Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Fayette, Harrison, Jefferson, Jennings, Lake, Porter, Ripley, Scott, Switzerland, Washington and Wayne. Through the Public Assistance program, governmental entities, municipal authorities, and certain private-nonprofit organizations in these counties may now apply for reimbursement for eligible disaster related costs such as debris removal, emergency protective measures and damage to public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, buildings, utilities and recreation areas.
Application deadlines for Disaster Unemployment Assistance are: Oct. 22 for residents of Lake, LaPorte and Porter counties; Oct. 25 for those in Harrison, Jefferson and Jennings counties; Nov. 3 for those in Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Pike, Spencer and Switzerland counties and Nov. 17 for Floyd, Perry, Scott and Washington counties. Applications are being taken at any WorkOne Center or online at www.dwd.in.gov/dwd/2404.htmp.
Disaster Legal Services are available in designated counties. Call 1-800-266-2581 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. to speak with an Indiana member of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. This no cost service deals with insurance claims, repair contracts, replacement of legal documents, mortgage foreclosure, and landlord/tenant issues stemming from the disaster.
PLEASE TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS.
All residents are encouraged to get involved with the recovery by helping spread the word about available assistance. Tell your neighbor.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Monday, 20-Oct-2008 08:46:36