More Than $6.5 Million In Federal Disaster Assistance Approved For Wisconsin
Release Date: July 23, 2004
Release Number: 1526-035
» More Information on Wisconsin Severe Storms and Flooding
MADISON, Wis. -- A total of $6,507,201 million in grants and low-interest disaster loans has been approved to date to assist Wisconsin residents who suffered damages from the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that occurred May 19 through July 3, reported disaster recovery officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM).
The last day to apply for disaster assistance is August 18. Residents and business owners living or working in one of the disaster-declared counties who sustained damage or loss have less than one month to apply by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired. Phone lines will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until further notice.
Federal, state, local and voluntary agencies are working in partnership to help Wisconsin residents in the disaster recovery process. The following is an update of their activities as of close of business Thursday, July 22:
- 4, 995 individuals from the 44 disaster-declared counties for Individual Assistance have called to apply (See county specific application numbers and grant figures on page 2).
- 1,857 applications have been approved for Disaster Housing Assistance, totaling $3,169,740 – for repairing disaster-damaged, uninsured or underinsured homes to a safe, sanitary and functional condition and for temporary disaster rental assistance.
- 991 applications have been approved for Other Needs Assistance, totaling $628,461 – which may include grants for medical, funeral, personal property, transportation and other eligible expenses.
- 143 applications for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest disaster loans have been approved, totaling $2,709,000 in home (132), business (5) and economic injury (6) loans.
- 4,051 inspections to verify applicant losses have been completed, with most inspections being completed within two days of initial registration.
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: Friday, 23-Jul-2004 15:35:49