Hurricane Charley Daily Summary For August 26, 2004
Release Date: August 26, 2004
Release Number: 1539-053
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Two weeks into the recovery from Hurricane Charley, 145,263 Floridians have requested state and federal disaster assistance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $66.3 million in various forms of financial aid for the storm’s victims.
Applications for assistance continue to come in via the toll-free teleregistration line, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), at the rate of nearly 10,000 a day. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The TTY number for speech- and hearing-impaired is 1-800-462-7585.
Housing assistance to residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed now totals $40.9 million. Inspections have been completed on 47,840 homes.
In addition, 15,463 residents with other storm-related needs not covered by insurance or volunteer agencies have been approved for aid totaling $25.4 million.
FEMA and the state are operating 12 disaster recovery centers to help applicants with questions about their requests for assistance. Seventeen shelters remain open and are currently housing 824 persons, down 253 from yesterday.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) issued its first disaster low-interest loan in Port Charlotte yesterday. SBA has approved more than one million in disaster loans to homeowners and businesses.
A number of sites are being developed for travel homes to temporarily house residents whose homes were destroyed. FEMA has purchased 8,359 units and placed 601 on sites. Thus far 98 have been occupied while placement interviews continue.
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is now available to those who have lost their source of income due to the hurricane. To date, 1,431 DUA claims have been processed under a federal program that applies in declared disasters. Self-employed persons and agricultural workers, who are not ordinarily eligible for state unemployment benefits, may be included.
More than 1,100 community relations specialists are providing disaster assistance information to storm victims in their neighborhoods. Their emphasis is on providing helpful information on resolving housing needs. Personnel continue to arrive from Florida’s emergency management partner states to support state and federal outreach efforts.
A Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) continues to provide support to the Charlotte Regional Medical Center. DMATs have treated more than 2,400 patients.
Debris removal operations continue. The total volume is estimated to be 16 million cubic yards in the 18 most heavily impacted counties. To date, more than one million cubic yards have been removed.
FEMA has tasked other federal agencies with 116 missions related to the recovery and obligated more than $89 million to operations that assist the recovery.
Flagler County has been added to the disaster declaration for individual assistance. A satellite disaster field office has been established and is operational in Charlotte County.
Ninety-five percent of power has been restored.
More than 1,700 roofs have been repaired with plastic sheeting through the efforts of voluntary agencies and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
To donate or volunteer services, disaster officials encourage people to visit a special website designed to coordinate voluntary efforts, located at www.volunteerflorida.org. This website provides opportunities to register as a volunteer and offers goods and services that can be matched to victims’ needs. It also includes a list of items urgently needed and a list of agencies accepting cash donations. Those without e-mail capability may call 1-800-FLHELP1 (1-800-354-3571).
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management 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 impacts. For the latest information on the hurricane relief effort, visit http://www.floridadisaster.org.
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: Thursday, 26-Aug-2004 17:52:16