FEMA/SERT Hurricane Disaster Assistance Exceeds $2.8 Billion; 1.16 Million Apply For Aid
Release Date: December 1, 2004
Release Number: 1539-294
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Florida Individual Assistance County Data
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Combined disaster aid to Floridians following Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne has reached $2,837,330,000, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Florida’s State Emergency Response Team (SERT).
With hurricane victims located in every county in the state of Florida, 1,155,414 residents have applied for some form of disaster aid.
The following is a breakdown of the types of disaster assistance and their respective dollar amounts:
- A total of $1.162 billion was approved for emergency measures taken before, during and following the storms.
- $957.16 million in federal and state assistance to Florida homeowners, renters and business owners. Of that amount, $451.62 million was in the form of grants to cover lodging expenses, minimal housing repair and rental assistance, and $505.54 million to repair or replace essential personal property and other storm-related expenses.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved to date $544.89 million in low-interest loans to repair storm-damaged homes and businesses.
- $173.28 million has been obligated to assist local governments and certain non-profit organizations in their efforts to repair or replace storm-damaged public infrastructure.
A county-by-county breakdown of individual disaster assistance is provided in the attachment.
Applicants for disaster aid who have additional questions about the various assistance programs, or who simply want to check on the status of their application, should visit one of the 43 FEMA/SERT Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) currently open throughout the state. To date, 400,346 Floridians have visited 84 DRCs for face-to-face meetings with federal and state disaster experts.
First and foremost, everyone affected by one or more of the four hurricanes to strike Florida should be registered with FEMA to be eligible for aid. Those who have not registered yet should call FEMA’s toll-free registration line, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The hearing- and/or speech-impaired may call TTY 1-800-462-7585.
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: Monday, 06-Dec-2004 08:07:50