$40 Million In Disaster Aid Approved For North Carolina; Over 24,000 Apply For Assistance
Release Date: October 8, 2003
Release Number: 1490-40
» More Information on North Carolina Hurricane Isabel
Raleigh, NC - A total of $40 million in federal/state disaster aid has been approved for residents of 36 North Carolina counties that sustained damages during Hurricane Isabel. President Bush declared 26 counties disaster areas shortly after landfall on September 18, at the request of Gov. Mike Easley. Another 10 counties were added October 1.
In the three weeks since the initial declaration, 25,869 North Carolina residents and business owners have applied for the various forms of federal/state disaster assistance, an increase of 7,605 over last week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said that state residents continue to register daily by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) (7 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week; TTY 1-800-462-7585).
Individuals, families and business owners who reside in the designated counties and who sustained disaster losses from the hurricane are eligible for a wide range of disaster assistance programs, including grants for eligible repairs or temporary housing that resulted from the disaster, low-interest disaster loans to both residents and businesses from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and other emergency measures.
The Individual & Households Program has approved $18 million, and 97 percent is already disbursed to applicants through electronic funds transfer. Of that, the federal share is $16.2 million and the state share is $1.8 million. Requests have been issued to inspect 15,628 homes and businesses of applicants, and 92 percent of those have been completed. The SBA has issued 12,298 applications to homeowners and renters and 3,572 applications to business owners, for a total of 15,870 applications.
Unemployment benefits are available for workers who were unemployed, or underemployed, because of Hurricane Isabel. The disaster unemployment program includes those who normally cannot get unemployment benefits, such as the self-employed, farmers and fishermen. "Affected workers must register soon," according to State Coordinating Officer Dr. Kenneth B. Taylor, who heads the state's response efforts. "This money can help them and their communities recover from the hurricane."
Currently, there are thirteen Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) open in the state, four of them mobile. To date, 4,368 visitors have been served by the DRCs. Gracia Szczech, the FEMA official in charge of the federal recovery effort, notes, "We continue to urge those affected by Hurricane Isabel to call and apply for assistance. Should you have questions about your application or want help with the forms, please visit a DRC."
In response to the damage caused by the hurricane, a dozen federal agencies have been tasked by FEMA to perform 45 response missions at a cost to the federal and North Carolina state governments of nearly $17.1 million. Hurricane Isabel destroyed a section of North Carolina Highway 12 near Hatteras Village and disrupted state ferry service between Ocracoke Island and Hatteras, so preliminary work has begun to repair the breach near Hatteras Village. That project is estimated to cost $4.3 million. Hazardous materials disposal and satellite imaging projects are ongoing; however, missions to provide ice, water and medical supplies have been fulfilled. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the hazardous materials cleanup will cost approximately $1 million.
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 Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 08-Oct-2003 14:11:32