More Than $10 Million In Ivan Disaster Aid Disbursed In North Carolina

Release Date: October 26, 2004 Release Number: 1553-012a

» More Information on North Carolina Hurricane Ivan

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Officials of the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management (CCPS-DEM) report that, to date, $10,013,820 has been disbursed in aid to victims of Hurricane Ivan.

Since President Bush issued a disaster declaration on September 18, more than $6.4 million has been issued in housing assistance and over $1.8 million granted to cover other needs such as medical and dental expenses, personal property, transportation and funeral costs. The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more that $1.7 million in low-interest loans for homeowners, business owners and renters.

The following is a summary of response and recovery activity since President Bush declared 29 counties eligible for federal disaster assistance in the aftermath of Ivan:

• Applications for individual assistance have been received from 6,760 residents.
• Disaster housing assistance checks totaling $6,426,113 have been disbursed to residents to assist with temporary housing and home repairs.
• Other Needs Assistance, which provides money for necessary expenses and serious needs not covered by insurance such as medical, dental, funeral, personal property, transportation, and moving and storage, totals $1,825,307.
• 3,791 property inspections (93%) have been completed.
• The SBA has issued 4,379 low-interest disaster loan applications (3,384 to homeowners, renters; 995 to businesses) and has approved $1,762,400 in low-interest loans to qualified applicants.
• 4,294 people visited FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) while in operation. All centers are now closed.

Crisis Counseling Available

Federal funding for crisis counseling is available for residents of those North Carolina counties damaged by Hurricane Ivan until November 17. Individuals in those counties can get immediate assistance by calling the NC CARE-LINE at 1-800-662-7030 or 1-877-452-2514 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired for referral to one of three local mental health agencies: the Foothills Area Program, serving residents of Burke, Caldwell and McDowell counties; the Smokey Mountain Local Management Entity, serving residents of Haywood, Jackson and Macon counties; and, the Western Highlands Local Management Entity, serving residents of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Yancey counties.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Monday, November 1 is the deadline for residents of 13 North Carolina counties to file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). Those counties include: Alamance, Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Graham, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Swain and Wilkes. DUA is offered through the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina to those who live or work in declared disaster areas and are unemployed or have lost income as a direct result of the disaster. Residents of these counties may file for assistance by phone at 1-866-795-8877 or by visiting their local Employment Security Office.

FEMA Registration and Information

Residents in disaster-declared counties have until Wednesday, November 17 to apply for assistance by calling the toll-free registration number 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. These numbers are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week until further notice. If possible, try calling in the evening after 6:00 p.m. or on weekends when call volume often is lighter. Individuals can now go online to register for assistance and to find additional recovery information at http://www.fema.gov.

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.