Floridians Receive More Than $4.2 Billion In Disaster Aid
Deadline To Apply -- February 28th
Release Date: February 24, 2005
Release Number: 1539-389
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Charley and Tropical Storm Bonnie
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Frances
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Ivan
» More Information on Florida Hurricane Jeanne
» 
Florida Individual Assistance
ORLANDO, Fla. -- More than $4.2 billion has been approved for people of Florida who were affected by last year's four hurricanes - including nearly a half-billion dollars in Public Assistance funds for cities and counties.
The deadline for registering is just days away. People who sustained losses due to the hurricanes can still apply for disaster assistance with the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA and State Emergency Response Team (SERT) officials encourage homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage and who have not registered to apply by Monday, Feb. 28, 2005, the deadline.
Applicants can register by phone at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing- and speech-impaired. The registration lines operate Monday- Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. Applicants also may register online at FEMA's web site, www.fema.gov. Look for and click on the words "Register for Disaster Assistance Online" located on the right side of FEMA's home page.
To date, more than 1.236 million individuals and families have applied for federal and state assistance. Approved disaster aid for people affected by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne has reached more than $4.236 billion.
A breakdown of the amounts and types of assistance to date:
- $1.143 billion in federal and state individual assistance has been approved for Florida residents in all 67 counties. Of that amount, $539.7 million has been provided as grants to pay for lodging expenses, rental assistance and minimal home repairs. Another $602.6 million has been provided as assistance for other needs, which may include such items as repair or replacement of personal property, funeral expenses, and medical and dental costs related to the hurricanes.
- Approximately $1.17 million in emergency response and protective measures has been approved to reimburse local governments and law enforcement for overtime expenses.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved $1.428 billion in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. Business owners also may be eligible for economic injury loans to help them recover from losses and get their businesses up and running again.
- Public Assistance (infrastructure) funds are flowing to local governments and certain private, non-profit entities. To date, $495.19 million has been approved. More than 2,680 requests for assistance are under review.
- More than 53.04 million cubic yards of debris have been cleared.
- FEMA housing inspectors have visited more than 867,900 properties to verify damage losses.
- More than 15,500 manufactured housing units - mobile homes and travel trailers - have been provided to hurricane victims.
- More than 32,500 National Flood Insurance Program claims have been received.
Attached is a county-by-county breakdown of individual disaster assistance provided to Floridians.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida's state 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. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 25-Feb-2005 15:40:33