Bradford, Clay, Madison And Taylor Counties Now Eligible For Individual Disaster Assistance – Charlotte Gets Public Assistance 

Release Date: October 16, 2008
Release Number: 1785-066

» More Information on Florida Tropical Storm Fay

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Response Team announced today that federal aid has been made available to four Florida counties in the wake of Tropical Storm Fay.

Residents of Bradford, Clay, Madison and Taylor counties who suffered damage or loss as a result of Fay can now register for disaster assistance by FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). The hard of hearing, deaf or speech impaired may call the TTY number at 800-462-7585 to apply. Multilingual operators are available to speak to applicants. The toll-free telephone numbers are open from 7 a.m. to midnight daily until further notice. Applicants may also register online at www.fema.gov.

Disaster assistance for eligible individuals may include:

The U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations. These loans are to repair or replace homes, businesses and personal property damaged by Tropical Storm Fay and continued flooding.

Clay, Bradford and Taylor counties were previously declared for FEMA's Public Assistance Program (emergency protective measures, debris and infrastructure program) and Charlotte County has now been designated for that assistance.

Public Assistance grants are awarded to help pay for emergency protective measures such as police overtime, debris clearance to open vital roads and rights-of-way, removal of threats to public safety and permanent repairs to roads, public buildings, utilities and parks, and recreation. Permanent work involves restoring infrastructure to its pre-disaster design. This could range from minor repairs to total replacement.

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: Friday, 17-Oct-2008 09:47:54