Federal Disaster Aid To Florida Tops $1.8 Billion
Release Date: October 20, 2004
Release Number: 1539-213
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Florida Individual Assistance County Data
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The state of Florida and its residents have received over $1.8 billion in federal disaster assistance for the combined response and recovery effort for Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Florida’s State Emergency Response Team (SERT) announced today.
To date, $739.7 million has been approved for disaster assistance to homeowners, renters and business owners who were affected by the hurricanes. That assistance includes housing assistance such as lodging expenses, rental assistance, home repair, medical and dental expenses, transportations costs and other related needs. Nearly a million Floridians have applied for federal and state disaster assistance for hurricane related losses since Charley made landfall on August 13th, with additional applications received daily.
Nearly $835 million has been authorized for emergency expenses incurred by state and local governments related to the response. This type of expense can include extra overtime pay for municipal workers, police protection, debris removal and other necessary protective measures. The U. S. Small Business Administration has approved $256.5 million in low-interest loans to homes and businesses.
Public assistance (infrastructure) funds have begun to flow to local governments and certain private non-profit organizations to support recovery efforts. Currently, $11 million has been authorized and more than 1,240 state agencies and local governments have applied for aid.
FEMA and the state of Florida have established 63 Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) throughout Florida, with 43 currently in operation. Since Charley hit the state, more than 226,000 residents have visited the DRCs for recovery assistance.
More than 2,000 manufactured housing units have been provided for those in need of housing, with many more on the way.
More than 128,000 people and 80 community and faith-based organizations have pitched in to help the state recover. Those organizations work in coordination with FEMA and SERT. Volunteer efforts range from debris removal, installing tarps on roofs, staffing shelters and removing large trees and limbs to preparing meals by the tens of thousands.
A county-by-county breakdown of federal and state assistance is provided in the attachment. The breakdown data reflects assistance totals as of Monday, October 18th.
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: Tuesday, 26-Oct-2004 13:03:04