Federal Aid for Alabama Disaster Totals More Than $24 Million

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — More than $16 million has been approved through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved more than $7 million through its low-interest disaster loan program.

The following numbers, compiled June 5, provide a snapshot of the Alabama/FEMA disaster recovery to date:

Funds approved

• $13.7 million for Housing Assistance grants to help with recovery rental expenses and home repair costs.
• $2.9 millionfor Other Needs Assistance to cover essential disaster-related needs, such as medical expenses and lost personal possessions.
• $7.6 million approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration for low-interest loans to eligible homeowners, renters or business owners.

Survivor recovery

• 12,194 damaged homes and property have been inspected (98 percent of requests).
• 3,976 visits have been made to the eight disaster recovery centers located in designated counties.
• 9 counties designated for Individual Assistance.
• 21 counties designated for Public Assistance. Most recently, Bullock, Houston and Washington counties have been added.

FEMA works with many volunteer agencies and the private sector to speed the recovery effort. Those affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding need to register with FEMA for disaster assistance.

No matter the degree of loss or insurance status, survivors are urged to apply for help. They can use the following methods:

• By phone, call 800-621-3662 (FEMA) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., local time. Operators are multilingual. TTY 800-462-7585.
• By computer, go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
• By smartphone or tablet, use m.fema.gov.

County-by-County approved breakdown of Individual Assistance:

Recovery officials urge all Alabama residents who have registered for assistance to stay in close contact with FEMA throughout the recovery process. This is especially true during the first weeks after registering when FEMA housing inspectors must contact applicants to view damages. Those with mobile phones should provide that number to FEMA during the registration.

Affected survivors and business owners in the nine designated counties may apply for assistance. Those counties are: Baldwin, Blount, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lee, Limestone, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.

Alabama/FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are located in Baldwin, Jefferson, Limestone and Mobile counties. These centers are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

One of the DRCs in Jefferson County, located at the Lawson State Community College, 1098 9^th Ave., SW, Bessemer, AL, will close today, June 6 at 6 p.m. This center will transition from a DRC to an SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Center on June 7 with hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, then 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, June 12.

The deadline to register is Tuesday, July 1.