Florida's Disaster Aid Tops One Billion Dollars
More than $1,027,000,000 in aid has been approved since Hurricane Charley made landfall seven weeks ago
Release Date: October 5, 2004
Release Number: 1539-168
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- More than $1 billion in federal and state disaster aid has been approved since Hurricane Charley struck Florida on August 13. That figure represents the costs for emergency assistance as well as funds to individuals and business owners as a result of all four hurricanes–Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne–that struck Florida within the past seven weeks.
The last seven weeks have been extremely difficult, as Florida endured the devastation of four deadly storms,” said Governor Jeb Bush. “Through it all, FEMA has been in our state, by our side, serving our people. I'm extremely grateful for their support and their commitment to work with us through the emergency response and into recovery."
The types of assistance to hurricane victims and the respective amounts of disaster aid are:
- $522,833,030 in emergency response to provide ice, water, food, temporary roofs and other emergency services.
- More than $380 million in federal and state disaster assistance for Florida households. That assistance includes $207.5 million in grants for housing repair and rental assistance and $172.8 million in grants to repair or replace essential property.
- The U. S. Small Business Administration has approved $124,800,000 in low-interest loans to repair storm-damaged homes and businesses.
"In times of distress, Americans reach out to help each other," said Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response Mike Brown. "This funding is a part of that. We are partners with the state on this road to recovery, and we will continue to work with the state and the citizens of Florida for as long as it takes."
Calls to FEMA’s toll-free registration line–1-800-621-FEMA (3362)–have set a new record for homeowners, renters and business owners seeking aid following a natural disaster. To date, 712,993 applications have been received since the initial declaration.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
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 the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 17-Nov-2004 09:27:35