Nearly $5.6 Million Issued in Week Three of Disaster Assistance
Release Date: July 21, 2006
Release Number: 1651-010
» More Information on Ohio Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 4,500 checks or direct deposits, totaling $5.6 million in disaster assistance grants, have been issued, according to federal and state recovery officials. A total of 9,087 residents have applied for disaster assistance in the six designated counties in northern 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 Thursday, July 20:
- 9,087 individuals (homeowners, renters and business owners) have applied for assistance in the six counties designated for Individual Assistance. The application breakdown by county is Cuyahoga – 4,317, Erie – 258, Huron - 559, Lucas - 3,475, Sandusky – 240, and Stark - 235.
- 3,118 claims have been approved thus far for the Individuals and Household Program.
- $5,521,149 in grants have been issued through the Individuals and Household Program. (This assistance may be used 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.)
- 7,786 inspections have been completed.
- $940,000 for 34 home loanshave been approved by SBA.
- 5,694 low-interest disaster loan applications have been issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), including 5,077 for homeowners and renters and 616 for business owners. SBA officials encourage anyone who has received an application from the SBA to turn it in as soon as possible in order to be eligible for any further assistance.
- 1,216 people have visited the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) that were temporarily opened in various locations to help meet the needs of disaster victims. The number of visits by location is Toledo – 543, Norwalk – 264, Valley View – 238 and Brewster – 171.
Federal and state officials urge others affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight line winds, and flooding that occurred between June 21-23 to apply immediately by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Phone lines will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily until further notice. People also may register for assistance online at their convenience at www.fema.gov. Aug. 31, 2006 is the last day to register for assistance.
More than 1,200 residents have visited one of the four centers located throughout the designated counties that were opened July 8. The Stark County DRC in Brewster closed on Wednesday, July 19, and the Cuyahoga County DRC in Valley View will close Saturday, July 22 at 6 p.m.
The remaining centers are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday until further notice. Recovery officials urge applicants to take advantage of the free services and information available at the Disaster Recovery Centers. The remaining center locations are:
- Lucas County, County Emergency Services Training Center, 2127 Jefferson Ave., Toledo
- Huron County, Norwalk High School, 350 Shadylane Dr., Norwalk
The U.S. Small Business Administration will open a Disaster Loan Application Center on Monday, July 24 to assist victims of the severe storms and flooding that afflicted Ohio from June 21-23. The center, located at 6848 Hathaway Road, Valley View, will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until further notice. SBA loan officers will be available to answer questions and help residents complete their low-interest loan applications. A FEMA representative will also be on site to answer FEMA-related questions.
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: Monday, 24-Jul-2006 08:06:23