BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Federal disaster assistance totals for eligible Iroquois and Livingston County residents topped $8.3 million last night with just a few days left until the May 6 registration deadline.
This total includes Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants and low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for county homeowners, renters and business owners who had damage from the severe storms and flooding Jan. 7 through March 14. However, FEMA and Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) officials stress that only three days remain to apply for assistance.
To apply by the May 6 deadline, residents should call the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for speech- or hearing-impaired applicants. Both lines are available today, Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CDT). Residents also may apply online at www.fema.gov.
FEMA disaster workers will continue to process the cases of individuals who already have applied, but they will not accept any new telephone or online applications after the May 6 deadline.
Disaster recovery efforts through May 1 include:
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Nearly 1,300 individuals (homeowners, renters and business owners) already have applied for assistance. (Iroquois County: 771 and Livingston County: 516)
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More than $3.7 million ($3,732,592) in grants has been approved in housing assistance for 791 applicants to be used for temporary disaster housing or to help make disaster-damaged, uninsured homes safe, sanitary and functional.
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A total of $772,871 in Other Needs Assistance (ONA) already is approved for 372 applicants to replace personal property and to help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs.
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So far, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $3,891,700 for 104 low-interest loans. ($3,656,500 for 95 home loans and $235,200 for nine business loans)
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May 6 also is the deadline for applicants who received SBA low-interest loan applications to complete and return the packet. If the SBA application is not returned, FEMA will not consider the applicant for other forms of federal assistance.
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 terrorism.