Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 115, No. 9	February 27, 2008

Federal funds to aid in storm cleanup

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

President George Bush late last week declared nine Kentucky counties, including Meade, eligible for Federal funding.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security‘s Federal Emergency Management Agency will make disaster relief funding available due to the tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding from storms which struck on Feb. 5 and 6.

The federal disaster was requested by Gov. Steve Beshear after personally assessing the damage in several of the stricken counties.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to assist individuals and business owners recover from the disaster’s effects.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

County emergency management director Ron Dodson said affected residents and business owners can begin applying for assistance online at www.fema.gov or by calling toll free (800) 621-FEMA. Telephone registration is available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dodson said participants should have the following information ready when applying:

• Social Security number.

• Current and pre-disaster address.

• A telephone number where you can be reached.

• Insurance information.

• Total household annual income.

• A routing and account number from your bank (which is only necessary if you want the funds transferred directly to your bank account).

• Description of your losses caused by the disaster.

Following completion of the application, FEMA officials will supply an application number, Dodson said.

He advised residents to write the number down and keep it handy for future reference.

Assistance can include the following:

• Rental payments for temporary housing for up to three months.

• Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.

• Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other disaster-related needs.

• Unemployment payments for up to 26 weeks.

• Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated.

• Loans up to $1.5 million for small businesses which suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover.

• Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and others to cover production and property losses.

• Crisis counseling, income tax assistance for filing casualty losses and advisory assistance for legal, veterans benefits and Social Security matters.

“I am pleased that the impacted citizens of Kentucky will be able to see this federal assistance as they recover from these terrible storms earlier this month,” Beshear said. “The assistance can include grants to pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses.”

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