Recovery Efforts Focus on Public Assistance Requests
Release Date: June 26, 2008
Release Number: 1761-031
» More Information on Georgia Severe Storms and Flooding
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Response and recovery efforts from the May 11-12 storms and tornadoes have centered on delivering help to Georgians through the Individual Assistance (IA) Program. Attention is now transitioning to another arm of federal and state disaster assistance - the Public Assistance program - as state and local government applicants this week submitted 53 eligible Requests for Public Assistance (RPAs).
"Many of the RPAs, general requests for assistance, are for debris removal," said Joe McKinney, Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) deputy state coordinating officer. "About 700,000 cubic yards of debris were left by the storms; and 25 percent has been cleared. Other RPAs are for help with repairs to utilities, higher education buildings, hospitals and other public buildings."
Eligible RPAs trigger specific assistance requests or Project Worksheets (PW).
"Project Worksheets deal with the nuts and bolts of the requests for Public Assistance," said Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Coordinating Officer, Jeff Bryant. "Submitted RPAs are expected to generate about 210 project worksheets requiring a rough estimate of $10 million in
disaster assistance."
GEMA and FEMA continue to work with communities through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and with individuals and families. The deadline to apply for IA is July 22; funds will continue to be disbursed to meet eligible needs. State and federal officials report the following:
- Exactly 5,111 individuals (homeowners, renters and business owners) already have applied for assistance.
- More than $1.3 million in grants has been approved in housing assistance for applicants to be used for temporary disaster housing or to help make disaster-damaged homes safe, sanitary and functional.
- A total of $373,584 in Other Needs Assistance (ONA) already is approved for 418 applicants to replace personal property and to help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.
- Some 315 homeowners, renters and businesses have returned their U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) applications for low-interest loans. So far, the SBA has approved $1.3 million for 59 loans.
- July 22 is the deadline for applicants who received SBA low-interest loan applications to complete and return the applications. If the SBA application is not returned, the applicant may not receive other forms of federal assistance.
A county-by-county breakdown follows:
| County | Applications | Individuals & Household Program | Housing Assistance | Other Needs Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bibb | 3,665 | $929,725 | $717,225 | $212,500 |
| Carroll | 300 | $202,379 | $162,359 | $40,020 |
| Douglas | 100 | $24,406 | $21,444 | $2,962 |
| Emanuel | 74 | $20,123 | $19,553 | $570 |
| Jefferson | 83 | $29,805 | $15,541 | $14,264 |
| Jenkins | 66 | $192,896 | $152,466 | $40,430 |
| Johnson | 388 | $184,176 | $153,424 | $30,751 |
| Laurens | 99 | $59,336 | $44,511 | $14,825 |
| McIntosh | 75 | $37,053 | $22,820 | $14,233 |
| Twiggs | 154 | $39,065 | $36,035 | $3,030 |
To apply by the July 22 deadline for assistance residents should call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for speech- or hearing-impaired applicants. Both lines are currently available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residents also may apply on line at www.fema.gov.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Thursday, 26-Jun-2008 11:11:52