Six Weeks After Disaster, Federal Aid for Alabama Totals More Than $27 Million

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — More than $17 million has been approved through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. The U.S. Small Business Administration has approved nearly $10 million through its low-interest disaster loan program.

The following numbers, compiled June 12, provide a snapshot of the Alabama/FEMA disaster recovery to date:

Funds approved

• $14.5 million for Housing Assistance grants to help with recovery rental expenses and home repair costs.
• $3.1 million for Other Needs Assistance to cover essential disaster-related needs, such as medical expenses and lost personal possessions.
• $9.6 million approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration for low-interest loans to eligible homeowners, renters or business owners.

Survivor Recovery

• 13,312 damaged homes and property have been inspected (98 percent of requests).
• 4,539 visits have been made to the 11 disaster recovery centers located in designated counties. (By 9 a.m. Saturday, June 14, all centers have been closed, five have transitioned to Disaster Loan Outreach Centers, operated by the SBA.)
• 9 counties designated for Individual Assistance.
• 21 counties designated for Public Assistance.

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 800-621-3362 (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 from FEMA and/or the SBA. Those counties are: Baldwin, Blount, DeKalb, Etowah, Jefferson, Lee, Limestone, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.                             

Alabama/FEMA’s last remaining Disaster Recovery Center in Jefferson County will be open until 6 p.m. today. That center is located at the Maurice C. West Community Center, 171 Second Street SW, Graysville, AL 35073.

Disaster Loan Outreach Centers, operated by the SBA to assist survivors with questions about federal loans, are located in Baldwin, Jefferson and Limestone and Mobile counties. The locations are:

• Elberta Town Hall, 10352 Main Street, Elberta, AL 36540.
• Fairhope Civic Center (Delchamps Room), 161 North Section Street, Fairhope, AL 36532.
• Graysville Public Library, 315 South Main Street, Graysville, AL 36073.
• Ripley W.O.W. Hall, 11281 Ripley Road, Athens, AL 35611.
• Old Navy/Marine Corps Reserve Center, 4851 Museum Drive, Mobile, AL 36608.

These facilities, which also are staffed with a FEMA specialist, are open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until further notice.

The deadline to register is Tuesday, July 1.