Federal Assistance Available For Nine Counties in Response to Texas Wildfires
Release Date: January 13, 2006
Release Number: 1624-002
» More Information on Texas Extreme Wildfire Threat
AUSTIN, Texas -- President George W. Bush has declared nine counties as major disaster areas in the State of Texas stricken by wildfires.
The presidential declaration makes individual assistance available to affected individuals and businesses in the counties of Callahan, Cooke, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Montague, Palo Pinto, Tarrant and Wise.
On January 11, 2006, President Bush named Sandra Coachman as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal response and recovery operations in the affected area.
Individual Assistance is provided for losses incurred on or after Dec. 1, 2005. This assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the wildfires.
Individuals and business owners located in the nine counties and who sustained losses should register with FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Registrations also can be made online at http://www.fema.gov.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-May-2006 12:12:06