State and Federal Assistance in Georgia Exceeds $17 Million
Release Date: June 29, 2007
Release Number: 1686-051
» More Information on Georgia Severe Storms and Tornadoes
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Nearly four months have passed since tornadoes and severe storms tore through Georgia in early March. Since then, nearly $17.7 million in disaster aid has been approved, according to officials of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA).
The total in federal disaster aid includes more than $1.2 million in FEMA assistance for individuals and households and more than $9.5 million in low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and businesses. This individual assistance was approved for nine counties: Baker, Crawford, Dougherty, McDuffie, Mitchell, Sumter, Taylor, Warren, and Worth.
Also, GEMA's and FEMA's Public Assistance Program has obligated nearly $6.8 million to communities and counties for debris removal, disaster-related emergency services and repair or reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, with additional funding being approved weekly. Public Assistance was approved for 13 counties: Baker, Clay, Crawford, Hancock, McDuffie, Mitchell, Muscogee, Stewart, Sumter, Taylor, Warren, Webster, and Wilkinson.
Below are key recovery numbers as of June 25, 2007:
- $1,282,093 in disaster assistance has been approved through the Individuals and Households Program:
- $835,900 has been approved for Housing Assistance. This includes temporary disaster housing and help in restoring uninsured homes that were made unsafe, unsanitary or non-functional.
- $446,193 in disaster assistance has been approved for Other Needs Assistance (ONA). ONA awards are for disaster-related necessary expenses and serious needs such as medical or dental expenses; funeral expenses; moving and storage; transportation costs; and the repair or replacement of household appliances, clothing and necessary educational materials.
- $ 9,535,500 in loans has been approved by the SBA for homeowners, renters and businesses:
- $5,523,900 in loans for homeowners and renters.
- $4,011,600 in business loans.
- 934 home inspections were conducted.
- $70,456 in Disaster Unemployment Insurance has been disbursed.
- $6,799,619 in Public Assistance funds has been obligated.
- State obligated $1,488,087
- FEMA obligated $5,311,532
A county-by-county summary of Individual Assistance follows:
Georgia Tornado and Severe Storms Recovery
| Individual and Household Program: HA - Housing Assistance ONA - Other Needs Assistance as of 6/25/07 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
County |
HA Amount |
ONA Amount |
Total Individual Assistance |
| Baker | $120,988.24 | $54,715.43 | $175,703.67 |
| Crawford | $29,255.99 | $4,391.52 | $33,647.51 |
| Dougherty | $58,042.16 | $1,711.86 | $59,754.02 |
| McDuffie | $56,197.55 | $47,142.07 | $103,339.62 |
| Mitchell | $66,045.05 | $3,104.73 | $69,149.78 |
| Sumter | $313,717.04 | $302,588.20 | $616,305.24 |
| Taylor | $6,249.02 | $11,756.77 | $18,005.79 |
| Warren | $80,365.47 | $350.00 | $80,715.47 |
| Worth | $105,039.80 | $20,432.09 | $125,471.89 |
| TOTAL | $835,900.32 | $446,192.67 | $1,282,092.99 |
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal rights. If suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.
FEMA's temporary housing assistance and grants for medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
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: Friday, 29-Jun-2007 14:14:50