Hurricane Charley Daily Summary For August 30, 2004
Release Date: August 30, 2004
Release Number: 1539-075
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ORLANDO, Fla. – Assistance to victims of Hurricane Charley has reached more than $81 million, with $49.6 million in housing assistance going to residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.
To date, 162,273 applicants have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), up 854 from yesterday.
The toll-free teleregistration line, 1-800-621-3362 (FEMA), continues to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The TTY number for speech- and hearing-impaired individuals is 1-800-462-7585.
More than $31.4 million in state and federal assistance has been approved to replace essential personal property and meet other uninsured needs.
To date, 60,151 housing inspections have been completed.
More than 4,000 roofs have been repaired using plastic sheeting as a temporary fix so that people may return to their homes, through the efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and voluntary agencies. Nearly 60,000 tarps have been delivered to county emergency operations centers for distribution to the public.
There are 247 travel homes occupied, and 601 additional travel homes are ready for occupancy.
More than 17,000 households have received $22 million in short-term rental assistance.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $4.4 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses.
Currently, seven shelters remain open providing emergency housing for 286 evacuees.
Approximately 2.5 million cubic yards of debris have been cleared, or about 16 percent of the estimated total.
There are 19 FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Centers providing 26,799 Floridians with information on various disaster assistance programs and advice on how to rebuild wisely in the wake of the hurricane.
FEMA has deployed 1,448 personnel to assist with the recovery, and has hired 136 local workers.
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).
For more information on Hurricane Charley disaster recovery, visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov. The site includes information on disaster assistance and an electronic version of Recovery Times, a FEMA/state of Florida publication to help those affected by the hurricane. The site also provides links to other disaster-related websites.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management also maintains a comprehensive disaster-specific website at www.floridadisaster.org. The website contains information on how to get help, and how to donate goods or volunteer services to assist in the recovery.
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 impact. Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief effort.
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: Monday, 30-Aug-2004 14:03:12