South Dakota Disaster Aid Nears $11 Million
Release Date: June 8, 2007
Release Number: 1702-014a
» More Information on South Dakota Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- State and federal officials have approved almost $11 million in disaster grants and low-interest loans for South Dakota homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damages resulting from the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding May 4-5, 2007.
Here is a summary of disaster recovery activities to date:
- 3,546 South Dakotans have applied for disaster assistance by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
- $4.7 million in grants to 2,234 households have been approved by FEMA for home repairs and temporary alternate housing.
- Individuals and families have received more than $322,000 in Other Needs Assistance to help meet other essential disaster-related needs such as medical expenses, transportation and personal property not covered by insurance or other aid programs. FEMA will pay 75 percent and the state will pay the remaining 25 percent.
- 266 low-interest disaster loans totaling $5.68 million have been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help homeowners and renters, businesses of all sizes, and private, nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
- The state has provided $578,000 in emergency disaster aid to nearly 600 people in the form of vouchers for food and clothing, and help with prescription drugs.
- 3,628 South Dakotans have visited Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs). The centers provide information about various disaster recovery programs including state-based services, individual and household assistance, disaster unemployment benefits, SBA low-interest disaster loans, and guidance on rebuilding wisely.
- Outreach teams representing the state and FEMA have contacted people in 2,129 households providing information on assistance programs and how to apply. They have left printed materials at an additional 3,116 household where nobody was home.
- FEMA inspectors have completed inspections of 2,938 homes assessing storm- and flood-related damages in an important step toward possible grants for repairs and replacement costs.
- 30 Public Assistance project specialists are in the field, assessing damages to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, and to public buildings. Under the public assistance program, state agencies, local and tribal governments, and certain private nonprofits could be eligible for 75 percent of disaster-related expenses. The state will pay the remaining 25 percent.
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance has been made available to people who live or work in any of the 11 counties declared eligible for Individual Assistance, and for those otherwise directly affected by the storms and flooding May 4-5 in those counties, including those who cannot normally get unemployment, such as farmers and the self-employed. Individuals can apply by calling the South Dakota Department of Labor at 605-626-3179.
- Federal assistance is available for farmers or ranchers whose homes and personal property were damaged by severe storms and flooding May 4-5.. Call the FEMA toll-free registration number 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or contact your local Farm Service Agency for details.
- Loans up to $500,000 may be available for farmers, ranchers and landowners to cover production, property losses and physical structures that are part of farming operations such as barns and sheds.
Eleven South Dakota counties have been declared eligible for Individual Assistance: Beadle, Brown, Clark, Davison, Hanson, Hutchinson, Marshall, Miner, Sanborn, Spink and Yankton.
Twenty-two counties have been declared eligible for Public Assistance: Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Clark, Day, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Marshall, McCook, Miner, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Tripp, and Yankton. In addition, those portions of the Pine Ridge and Crow Creek Indian Reversations and the Sisseton Wahpeton Indian Oyate that lie within designated counties are also eligible for PA.
The incident period for the disaster is May 4 through June 8 for damages incurred from the May 4-5 storms.
More Recovery News:
The daily number of individuals and business owners visiting recovery centers and applying for assistance is decreasing, indicating that outreach teams and other efforts have reached most of those who suffered damages, and they have taken the necessary steps to receive disaster assistance.
In the past week, DRCs in Redfield and Mitchell have closed, leaving the recovery center in Aberdeen as the only fixed DRC in operation. The Aberdeen center is open from 8 am. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The mobile DRC has set up shop for two-day stints in Warner (June 4-5), Groton (June 6-7) and Claremont (June 8-9), and will be visiting Langford (June 11-12) and Britton (June 14-15).
The SBA continues to maintain Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in towns where the recovery centers have closed, in Redfield, Huron, Mitchell and Yankton. The centers provide one-on-one assistance for storm-impacted South Dakotans who have questions about SBA disaster assistance or need help completing an SBA disaster loan application. Information on days and hours of operation is available at the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955.
Resources:
- The State of South Dakota has set up a special Help Line to provide a direct link to a number of state resources that can help with disaster recovery needs and issues. The Help Line is 1-866-737-8998. Phone lines open: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (CDT) Monday through Saturday until further notice.
- South Dakotans can use one of three ways to register for state and federal disaster assistance:
- Call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585 for individuals with hearing or speech impairments. The FEMA lines are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.(CDT) Monday through Saturday, until further notice;
- Register online at www.fema.gov;
- Visit the Aberdeen Disaster Recovery Center, or a mobile DRC where state and federal disaster specialists are available to help with registrations and answer recovery questions.
- South Dakotans who have already registered but have questions about their applications can visit a Recovery Center or call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
- The state of South Dakota has established a special Web site to help storm-impacted residents learn more about available disaster assistance. The Web site can be found at: www.disasterrecovery.sd.gov.
- Additional disaster and recovery information also can be found on the FEMA Web site at www.fema.gov
FEMA coordinates the federal governments 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, 08-Jun-2007 23:35:11