FEMA Acts To Speed Disaster Aid Applications
Release Date: September 24, 1999
Release Number: 1292-14
» More Information on North Carolina Hurricane Floyd & Irene
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking volunteers from other federal agencies to help its more than 1,000 operators handle the crush of applications for disaster assistance due to Hurricane Floyd.
It also asked applicants to avoid calling during peak hours.
"We're making every effort to take applications on a timely basis, but the number has been very heavy, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.," said FEMA's Glenn C. Woodard, federal coordinating officer for recovery operations.
Woodard said applicants can get faster service by calling the state-federal toll-free number, 1-800-462-9029, earlier or later in the day. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to midnight. Persons with speech or hearing impairments needing special keyboard equipment should call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585, he said.
A total of 32,522 requests for assistance have been made in the disaster's first week. FEMA operates telephone banks at five sites to receive applications and expedite assistance.
Eric Tolbert, director of the North Carolina Emergency Management Division (NCEMD), stressed that requests can be made only by telephone, rather than at one of the 16 state-federal recovery centers in the disaster area.
"The function of the centers is to help those who have already registered with questions about their applications, or about available assistance programs," said Tolbert. "Telephone intake puts the application in the data system for action."
Last Modified: Thursday, 11-Dec-2003 14:39:35