Federal Disaster Assistance Surpasses $272 Million

Release Date: November 9, 2004 Release Number: 1549-079

» More Information on Alabama Hurricane Ivan

MOBILE, Ala. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that the agency has obligated more than $272,271,961 in aid to help Alabama recover from the impact of Hurricane Ivan. FEMA and the Alabama Emergency Management Agency continue to work together to bring help to those still suffering as a result of this devastating storm.

A breakdown of federal disaster assistance as of November 9, 2004:

• 139,301 have applied for assistance from FEMA by calling the FEMA teleregistration at 800-621-FEMA (3362). The TTY number is 800﷓462﷓7585 for the hearing-or speech-impaired. Toll-free lines are open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. Apply online using FEMA’s newly implemented Internet registration at www.fema.gov. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance has been extended through Monday, Jan. 3, 2005.
  
• $128 million has been approved to help individuals and households recover.
  • $75 million has been approved for temporary housing and for doing minor repairs to make primary residences safe and habitable again.
  • $53 million has been approved for disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other programs.
    
• $10 million in low-interest disaster loans has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for homeowners, renters and businesses. To date, SBA has approved $8 million for loans to homeowners and renters, and $2 million for loans to businesses.
  
• $99,749 in Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) has been distributed (as of Nov. 5).
  
• A new statewide FEMA-funded, state-administered crisis counseling hotline has been established. To reach a crisis counselor call toll-free 866-756-7834, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • $393,963 was allocated by FEMA to fund Project Rebound, a statewide outreach program for disaster crisis counseling.
    
• 97,477 housing inspections have been completed.
  • 117 housing inspectors are currently working in the designated counties.
    
• Temporary Housing: 235 travel trailers are occupied by residents displaced by the storm; 259 units have been shipped to staging areas. Additional units will be made available as needs arise.
  
• FEMA and the state of Alabama are encouraging people to contact their local law enforcement agency or the Attorney General’s Consumer Affairs division at 800-392-5658 if they suspect anyone of disaster-related fraud, price gouging or other scams. They also urge anyone with knowledge of fraud, waste or abuse relating to disaster contracts, programs or personnel to call the Office of Inspector General Fraud Hotline at 800-323-8603.
  
• 38,047 Alabamians have visited Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to receive information on disaster assistance.
  
• 9 DRCs are open and located in the following counties:
  • Baldwin (Gulf Shores and Daphne), Clarke (Grove Hill), Dallas (Selma), Escambia (Atmore and Brewton), Mobile (Saraland and Coden), Wilcox (Camden).
    • On Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. the Selma DRC will close.
    • On Friday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. the Camden DRC will close
      
• 152 Community Relations outreach personnel have canvassed the 65 disaster-designated counties and made over 120,000 visits to residents, local leaders, businesses, factories and other community-based organizations.
  • 9 teams continue to help homeowners, residents and businesses understand the application process, fill-out paperwork, and provide one-on-one recovery guidance.
    
• 50 counties are eligible for federal/state public assistance funding. The Public Assistance Program provides supplemental disaster assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures. It also funds the repair of public infrastructure damaged by the storm, including roads and bridges, public buildings and utilities, and public facilities and parks.
  • 532 state and local governments and certain private non-profits have applied for public assistance grants to reimburse communities for disaster recovery work.
  • $11 million has been obligated for reimbursement of repair and clean-up projects.
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has removed over 2 million cubic yards of debris in Butler, Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, and Monroe counties as well as the cities of Opp and Fort Deposit since USACE was mission assigned by FEMA on September 21.
    
• FEMA mission assignments to date total $123 million to federal agencies and organizations tasked. Mission assignments are work orders that FEMA, as a lead agency, issues to other federal agencies requesting them to complete specific tasks during disaster response and recovery operations.
  • Some examples of disaster work done by mission assigned agencies include urban search and rescue operations; purchase and distribution of essential items such as ice, tarps and meals-ready-to-eat; and debris removal.
    
• Mitigation: FEMA and the state continue to work together to assure that the next time disaster strikes Alabama residents will be better prepared to protect their families and property.
  • 35,200 brochures about how to rebuild stronger and safer have been distributed at DRCs.
  • 5,900 applicants have received information about mitigation techniques at DRCs.
    o FEMA officials met with representatives from 10 communities that sustained heavy damages from Hurricane Ivan and are not currently participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Over 300 communities across Alabama currently participate in the NFIP.
  • 5,372 NFIP claims have been filed due to flooding caused by Hurricane Ivan.

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.