Sixteen Tennessee Counties Receiving Disaster Aid

Fayette County Residents Now Eligible for Individual Assistance

February 21, 2008, NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’'s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is extending federal disaster assistance to homeowners, renters and business owners in Fayette County who suffered damage or loss as a result of the Feb. 5-6 severe storms and tornadoes.

FEMA Individual Assistance may provide eligible applicants with temporary housing assistance, uninsured or underinsured loss of personal property and medical, dental and funeral expenses caused by the disaster, and other serious unmet needs. The U.S. Small Business Administration offers disaster loans to eligible homeowners and renters as well as to businesses of all sizes.

Individuals can apply for assistance online at www.fema.gov or call (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or TTY (800) 462-7585.

Fourteen counties are now eligible for Individual Assistance under President Bush’s Feb. 7 disaster declaration: Benton, Fayette, Hardin, Hickman, Houston, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Montgomery, Perry, Shelby, Sumner, Trousdale and Williamson.

FEMA also added disaster assistance for local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations in Fayette, Haywood and McNairy counties for debris removal, emergency services and repair or replacement of public facilities, such as roads, buildings, utilities, parks and public recreational facilities damaged by the storms. The federal government will reimburse 75 percent of eligible costs. The state of Tennessee will pay 12.5 percent of the remaining costs while the local government will match that amount.

Benton, Hardin, Hickman, Houston, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Perry, Shelby, Sumner, Trousdale and Williamson counties, previously designated for emergency assistance, are now eligible for Public Assistance grants for permanent work.

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.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loans must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For information about SBA programs, applicants may call (800) 659-2955 or online at www.sba.gov.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at (800) 621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal Rights. If suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the fraud hotline at (800) 323-8603.

Source: FEMA

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