Federal/State Disaster Aid Tops $120 Million; Less Than Three Weeks Left to Register
Release Date: November 19, 2003
Release Number: 1490-83
» More Information on North Carolina Hurricane Isabel
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A total of $120 million in federal/state disaster aid had been approved through Tuesday, nearly nine weeks since President Bush declared the state eligible for federal disaster assistance immediately after Hurricane Isabel made landfall on September 18.
Only 19 days remain for residents with losses from the hurricane and other storms to register for assistance. The deadline to register for damages caused by the hurricane is Monday, December 8.
"We want to give everyone whose home was damaged by the hurricane ample opportunity to register for assistance," says Gracia Szczech, the federal official coordinating the response for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "If your home sustained damage call our toll-free registration number."
Individuals may apply for disaster assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY: 1-800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing impaired. Hours are 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
"There are a number of federal and state disaster assistance programs available, including low-interest loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA)," said Dr. Kenneth B. Taylor, North Carolina's state coordinating official for long-term disaster recovery. "It is vital to return completed SBA loan applications by December 8 so we can determine who may be eligible for grants."
The following is a summary of the response and recovery activity to date since President Bush declared the state eligible for federal disaster assistance on September 18.
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51,260 applications for individual assistance have been received from residents in the 47 counties designated for that assistance.
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$20.2 million has been approved for residents to assist with temporary housing and home repairs.
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$19.5 million has been approved in Other Needs Assistance, which provides money for necessary expenses and serious needs not covered by insurance (such as medical, dental, funeral, personal property, and transportation expenses).
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27,103 applications for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans have been issued.
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$32.3 million in SBA low-interest disaster assistance loans have been approved for 1,436 households and businesses.
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10,634 people visited local Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) when they were open between September 23 and October 31.
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$27.8 million has been approved for projects to rebuild North Carolina's infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Isabel.
- $20.3 million in direct federal and state aid for specific response and recovery mission assignments has been approved, including an estimated $7.5 million committed to fill the Hatteras Island breach caused by the hurricane.
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, 19-Nov-2003 14:13:39