 FEMA Administrator David Paulison said the assistance was authorized
under a major disaster declaration issued for the state by President
Bush. The president's action makes federal funding available to
affected individuals in DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, Lake and Will
counties.The assistance, to be coordinated by FEMA, can include
grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other
serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S.
Small Business Administration also will be available to cover
residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.
Federal funding also is available to state and eligible local
governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a
cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement
of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in DeKalb,
Kane and LaSalle counties. Federal funding is available on a
cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties
and tribes within the state.
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Paulison named Tony Russell as the federal coordinating officer for
federal recovery operations in the affected area. Russell said that
damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and more counties and
additional forms of assistance may be designated after the
assessments are complete.
The agency said that residents and business owners who sustained
losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance
by registering online at
http://www.fema.gov/ or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or, for
the hearing- and speech-impaired, 1-800-462-7585 TTY. The toll-free
telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time)
Monday through Sunday.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for,
preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to and recovering
from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including
acts of terror.
[Text from file received from
the Federal Emergency Management Agency] |
