More Than $18 Million Approved In Disaster Assistance
Release Date: August 29, 2006
Release Number: 1651-016
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- To date more than $18 million in disaster assistance grants and loans have been approved, according to federal and state recovery officials. Nearly 12,000 residents have applied for disaster assistance in CUYAHOGA, ERIE, HURON, LUCAS, SANDUSKY, AND STARK counties in northeast Ohio.
The following is an update of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Ohio Emergency Management Agency (Ohio EMA) recovery activities as of close of business Wednesday, August 23.
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Nearly 12,000 individuals (homeowners and renters) have applied for assistance in the counties designated for Individual Assistance.
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More than $8 Million in grants have been approved through the Individuals and Household Program. (This assistance may be for temporary disaster housing assistance; repairing disaster-damaged, uninsured homes to a safe, sanitary and functional condition; and replacement grants for serious, disaster-related needs and expenses not covered by insurance or other assistance programs.)
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More than 7,300 low-interest disaster loan applications have been issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and more than $10 Million has been approved. SBA officials encourage anyone who has received an application to turn it in as soon as possible to be eligible for any further assistance.
Residents of the eligible counties of CUYAHOGA, ERIE, HURON, LUCAS, SANDUSKY, AND STARK have only two more days (until August 31) to register for assistance. Affected residents should call the FEMA toll-free number 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech and hearing impaired. Phone lines will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Multilingual operators are also available to answer calls. People may still register for assistance online at www.fema.gov. After August 31, if residents have questions about their application, they may call the FEMA help line at the above phone numbers.
SBA offers disaster loans up to $200,000 to repair disaster-damaged primary residences. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to replace damaged personal property such as furniture and clothing. Loans to businesses of all sizes and nonprofit organizations up to $1.5 million are available to repair or replace damaged real estate, machinery and equipment, supplies, and inventory.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 29-Aug-2006 10:49:23