Disaster Assistance Summary
$5.21 Million In Federal/District Assistance Approved
Release Date: September 29, 2003
Release Number: 1493-08
» More Information on District of Columbia Hurricane Isabel
Washington, DC -- District and federal officials, along with various voluntary agencies, continue to help residents of the District of Columbia who were affected by the Hurricane Isabel. To date, $5.21 million in disaster assistance has been approved to help residents meet their most basic disaster-recovery needs.
Nearly 700 individuals have registered for assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free number at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing impaired. The lines are open from 7 a.m. to midnight, daily.
On Wednesday, officials completed the final delivery of ice for use with cold food storage to areas in the District suffering from power outages as a result of Hurricane Isabel damages. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the D.C. Department of Public Works delivered nearly 800,000 pounds of ice to four distribution sites, equaling 20 trucks, each capable of carrying 44,000 pounds of ice.
On Thursday, officials completed a mass-feeding program that provided hot meals to those residents who lost stored food due to spoilage resulting from the power outages. The D.C. Department of Health and Human Services managed a massive feeding program utilizing the services of the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Southern Baptists Association, District employees and volunteers to serve more than 15,000 meals.
More than $186,000 in FEMA grants has been approved to help disaster-affected homeowners and renters who need a place to stay or who only need to make repairs for their homes to be functional.
More than $45,000 has been approved for residents to help cover other eligible disaster needs, such as replacing some personal property, medical, dental and funeral expenses, vehicle costs and certain other expenses.
District residents receiving food stamp benefits who lost food during the storm and other low-income residents who need them may apply for the Emergency Food Stamp Program. The program began September 26 and will end October 6. The program will provide approximately $4 million to 40,000 households. These households represent the 82,000 District residents receiving food stamp benefits who lost food during the storm as well as to new applicants.
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.
Last Modified: Monday, 29-Sep-2003 16:18:51