Community Relations Teams Help Storm Victims
Release Date: June 17, 2004
Release Number: 1523-005
» More Information on Kentucky Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Teams of federal/state community relations specialists have been deployed to the sixty-six counties that were declared major disaster areas to deliver information about disaster assistance to Kentucky homeowners, renters and businesses that suffered losses due to recent severe storms.
Malcolm Franklin, Kentucky emergency management director, said county emergency managers would help the teams locate key areas in need of assistance. "We will be going door-to-door in affected neighborhoods to spread the word that help is available with unmet needs arising from the disaster," Franklin said. He added that the teams would remain in the declared counties as long as they are needed.
Michael Bolch, the official in charge of federal recovery operations, said the community-relations teams will answer questions about various types of assistance and inform residents that assistance is available only by registering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the speech or hearing impaired. Phone lines will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CDT and EDT).
"As soon as a disaster is declared, these teams work directly with citizens at every level of the local community, including government, business, religious and volunteer organizations," Bolch said.
Under the declaration issued by President Bush on June 10, federal and state assistance is available in a wide range of federal and local disaster programs to help families with their recovery from uninsured losses due to the series of storms beginning May 26.
The sixty-six declared counties are Bell, Bourbon, Boyle, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Caldwell, Carroll, Casey, Christian, Clark, Clay, Crittenden, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Garrard, Grayson, Hardin, Harlan, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, McLean, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble, Union, Webster, Whitely, Wolfe and Woodford.
On March 1, 2003, the Office for Domestic Preparedness became a part of the Department of Homeland Security. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) designated ODP as the principal federal agency responsible for the preparedness of the United States for acts of terrorism, including coordinating preparedness efforts at the federal level, and working with all state, local, tribal, parish, and private sector emergency response providers on all matters pertaining to combating terrorism, including training, exercises and equipment support. To support this mission, ODP administers a number of programs that provide a wide array of support to our nation's emergency preparedness and response community. For more information on ODP, please visit the Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp.
Last Modified: Thursday, 17-Jun-2004 16:57:17