June 3, 2009
Connie Kiefer
External Affairs
Resource Manager Specialist
FEMA

$3 Million in disaster aid already approved for Volusia County

One week after President Obama declared Volusia County a disaster area eligible for federal help, more than 2,800 victims have registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and more than $3 million in aid has been approved.

This help will go to applicants FEMA has determined are eligible for assistance in Volusia County.

Registering is as easy as dialing 800-621-FEMA (3362) any day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time or TTY 800-462-7585 for people with speech or hearing impairment. Potential applicants can also go to FEMA's Web site, disasterassistance.gov and complete an application. Applicants may also track the status of an application at that site.

FEMA officials and State Emergency Response Team (SERT) officials continue to encourage Volusia County residents who suffered uninsured or underinsured losses related to the May 17 severe storms and flooding to register for help with FEMA.

Here is a summary of assistance to individuals through June 2:

• $1,431,790 has been disbursed for housing expenses, including temporary rental assistance, home repair costs and assistance toward replacing destroyed homes.
• $650,816 has been approved for Other Needs Assistance (ONA) to cover expenses and serious needs caused by the disaster (e.g., medical, dental, funeral, personal property, transportation, moving and storage, and other related expenses).
• 1,700 home inspections to confirm disaster damage have been completed.
• Teams of state and FEMA Community Relations field specialists have distributed more than 4,800 flyers and worked in Volusia County to help identify and assist disaster survivors. In the course of explaining the recovery process, they have visited 1,222 residences and 221 businesses.