Quake Aid Hits $6.9 Million
Release Date: February 9, 2004
Release Number: 1505-019
» More Information on California Earthquake
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Federal and state disaster aid totaling $6.9 million has been approved for individuals and business owners in San Luis Obispo County to date, according to officials of the federal and state agencies engaged in the San Simeon Earthquake recovery effort. These agencies include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
President Bush declared a major disaster existed in the State of California on January 13 after a request by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and San Luis Obispo County was designated for individual assistance. More than 2,300 individuals have since registered for aid.
People who suffered damage during the earthquake can still register for assistance by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency's toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The speech- or hearing-impaired can call TTY 1-800-462-7585. The lines are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Response and recovery activities so far:
- Housing assistance totaling more than $3.7 million has been approved to help with temporary housing and essential home repairs.
- Payments totaling $103,000 have been approved to help with other needs such as personal property, medical, dental, funeral, transportation, moving and storage expenses.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $3.1 million in low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses of all sizes.
- FEMA inspectors have completed more than 1,800 inspections of earthquake-damaged properties.
Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties also were designated eligible to receive "public assistance" and hazard mitigation funds. These funds support the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities, as well as the facilities of certain private, not-for-profit organizations. Requests for Public Assistance (RPAs) are currently being accepted through Thursday , February 12. Applications for hazard mitigation grants are being accepted through Friday, February 13
OES coordinates overall state agency response to major disasters in support of local government. The office is responsible for ensuring California's readiness to respond to and recover from natural, manmade and war-caused emergencies and for assisting local governments in their emergency preparedness, response, mitigation and recovery efforts.
SBA is the federal government's primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.
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.
Disaster recovery assistance is available to any individual without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, economic status, or disability. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against in receiving disaster assistance, you may contact one of FEMA's Equal Rights Officers (EROs) at 1-800-525-0321, or contact your State Office of Equal Rights.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 10-Feb-2004 08:34:24