North Carolinians Affected By Hurricane Isabel Urged To Apply For Aid 

Release Date: September 21, 2003
Release Number: 1490-01

» More Information on North Carolina Hurricane Isabel

Raleigh, NC -- North Carolina residents who suffered damages resulting from Hurricane Isabel's rampage through the state last week should call the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) toll-free number to apply for assistance, state and federal officials said today.

That number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The number for speech and hearing impaired persons is 1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are operative 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

"We want the citizens of North Carolina to know that a wide array of programs are available to help them recover from the aftermath of Isabel," said FEMA official Gracia Szczech, federal coordinating officer for the disaster. "We also want them to know that help is just a phone call away."

Various aid programs are available to disaster-stricken residents of 26 North Carolina counties designated in the President's disaster declaration of Sept. 18.

They include rental payments for temporary housing, grants and loans for home repairs not covered by insurance, and grants to replace personal property lost as a result of the storm and to meet serious disaster-related needs. Unemployment benefits are also available for people who are out of work due to the storm and are not otherwise eligible, such as the self-employed.

Loans are also available through the Small Business Administration for individuals as well as businesses suffering property and/or capital losses as a result of Isabel.

The 26 counties declared disaster areas are Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Martin, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell and Washington.

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 Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

For more information about hurricane preparedness and recovery and additional information concerning Hurricane Isabel, visit the FEMA Web site, at www.fema.gov.

Last Modified: Monday, 22-Sep-2003 14:12:47