Over $45 Million Approved for Disaster Assistance
Release Date: November 14, 2008
Release Number: 1795-042
» More Information on Indiana Severe Storms and Flooding
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Over $45 million in federal disaster assistance grants and loans have been approved so far by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for Indiana residents who were affected by the Sept. 12 through Oct. 6 storms and flooding.
To date, 24,256 homeowners and renters from the 30 designated counties have applied for disaster assistance.
- $45,316,799 in grants and loans have been approved for Indiana applicants, which includes:
- $23,609,864 in housing assistance to cover temporary rental assistance, home repairs and replacement.
- $4,468,735 in other needs assistance to cover essential personal property losses, medical, dental, funeral, transportation or other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance.
- 33,006 residents have visited Disaster Recovery Centers.
- $17,238,200 in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans has been approved.
- 14,067 SBA disaster loan applications have been issued to homeowners and 2,043 to business owners.
- Currently, 29 FEMA inspectors are verifying disaster damage; 18,859 home inspections have been completed.
Qualified residents in 30 counties are eligible for individual assistance from FEMA. Designated counties include: Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Martin, Perry, Pike, Porter, Scott, Spencer, Switzerland and Washington. Additional counties added by the Nov. 5 amendment are: Franklin, Gibson, Jasper, Ohio, Orange, Posey, Ripley, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh and Warrick.
The Last Two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) will be open through Nov. 14:
- Ivy Tech Community College, 1440 East 35th Ave., Gary
Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Manuszczak Appliance Store, 9450 Calumet Ave., Munster
Open Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Both DRCs will transition to SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) effective Monday, Nov. 17. They will operate Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. DLOCs offer assistance with the SBA disaster loan process; there, specialists can answer program questions, assist applicants with filling out forms and close loans.
Residents who receive an SBA disaster loan application in the mail after applying with FEMA should be sure to complete the application, even if they aren't sure they want a loan. Completing the SBA application is an important step in being considered for the FEMA Other Needs Assistance program, which covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
The first step toward receiving disaster assistance from FEMA or the SBA is to register with FEMA.
Affected residents can register online at any time at www.fema.gov. Or they can call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or at TTY 1-800-462-7585 for those with speech or hearing impairments. Residents can update contact information at the same numbers. Lines are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. The deadline to register is Nov. 24.
Public Assistance Counties Added
The presidential disaster declaration of September 23 for Indiana was amended Nov. 7 to include two more counties eligible for the federal Public Assistance program: Daviess and LaPorte. Thirty-four Indiana counties are now eligible for this assistance: Clark, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Dubois, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Gibson, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Martin, Newton, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Pike, Porter, Ripley, Rush, Scott, Spencer, Switzerland, Union, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Washington, and Wayne.
Other Program Information
Application deadlines for Disaster Unemployment Assistance are: Nov. 17 for those in Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Pike, Spencer and Switzerland counties and December 8 for Franklin, Gibson, Jasper, Ohio, Orange, Posey, Ripley, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. Applications are being taken at any WorkOne Center or online at www.dwd.in.gov/dwd/.
Disaster Legal Services are available in designated counties. Call 1-800-266-2581 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday to speak with an Indiana member of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association. This no cost service deals with insurance claims, repair contracts, replacement of legal documents, mortgage foreclosure, and landlord/tenant issues stemming from the disaster.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Monday, 17-Nov-2008 08:05:29