Hurricanes Frances And Charley Daily Summary For September 10, 2004 

Release Date: September 10, 2004
Release Number: 1539-098

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» More Information on Florida Hurricane Frances

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Disaster relief continues to pour into Florida for victims of Hurricanes Frances and Charley. Drinking water, ice, gasoline and other essential supplies are reaching areas hardest hit by the storm, as crews from across the country work to restore power.

Assistance to Florida hurricane victims has reached more than $129 million, up $16 million from yesterday. To date, $77.4 million in housing assistance has been approved for residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

To date, 280,000 applicants have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). There were 22,574 registrations yesterday.

The toll-free teleregistration line, 1-800-621- FEMA (3362), continues to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The TTY number for speech- and hearing-impaired is 1-800-462-7585.

Those damaged by both Hurricanes Charley and Frances may register for assistance under both disaster declarations. Those already registered for Charley who suffered additional damage from Frances must call again for a review of new damages. If you get a busy message, please be persistent and try your call again in several hours.

More than $51.6 million in state and federal assistance has been approved to replace essential personal property and meet other uninsured needs.

To date, 92,720 housing inspections have been completed.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $28.1 million in low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters and businesses.

Three Disaster Medical Assistance Teams are in the field, with two additional teams staged for assignment if needed. To date, 207 patients have been treated.

More than 700 FEMA/State Community Relations field officers are going door-to-door in affected areas to distribute information on disaster assistance and advise people on how to get help, an increase of 300 from yesterday.

FEMA has deployed 2,362 personnel to assist with the recovery.

To donate or volunteer services, disaster officials encourage people to visit a special website designed to coordinate voluntary efforts, located at www.volunteerflorida.org. This website provides opportunities to register as a volunteer and offers goods and services that can be matched to victims’ needs. It also includes a list of items urgently needed and a list of agencies accepting cash donations. Those without internet access may call 1-800-FLHELP1 (1-800-354-3571).

For more information on Hurricanes Charley and Frances disaster recovery, visit FEMA’s website at www.fema.gov. The site includes information on disaster assistance and an electronic version of Recovery Times, a FEMA/state of Florida publication to help those affected by the hurricane. The site also provides links to other disaster-related websites.

Florida Division of Emergency Management also maintains a comprehensive disaster-specific website at www.floridadisaster.org. The website contains information on how to get help, and how to donate goods or volunteer services to assist in the recovery.

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s emergency management agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief effort.

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, 13-Sep-2004 11:06:20