Tennessee Recovery One Month Later: $4.3 Million in Assistance

March 3, 2008, NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nearly one month after tornadoes ripped through Tennessee, more than $4.3 million has been approved in disaster assistance grants and loans for homeowners, renters and business owners by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

"As cleanup continues and lives are being rebuilt, FEMA, other federal agencies, state and local governments, faith-based groups and voluntary agencies will continue to do all that we can to help Tennesseans on their road to recovery," said Federal Coordinating Officer Gracia Szczech.

Federal assistance to Tennesseans follows President Bush's Feb. 7 disaster declaration as a result of the Feb. 5-6 severe storms and tornadoes.

"We are pleased that disaster funds are in the hands of Tennesseans," said Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director James Bassham. "We encourage anyone, insured or not, who had disaster-related damages or losses to still register with FEMA."

Following are highlights of assistance to individuals, as of Monday, March 3:

*

$2,117,991 has been approved through FEMA's Individuals and Households Program for housing assistance, including rental assistance and repairs to homes for eligible applicants. Of that, $1,545,016 is for housing assistance and $572,975 to help applicants cover other essential disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses, lost personal possessions, funeral costs and transportation.
*

$2,247,100 in loans to homeowners, renters and business owners has been approved by SBA.
*

3,999 applicants have registered with FEMA for some form of disaster assistance.
*

2,511 residents have visited Disaster Recovery Centers operated jointly by FEMA and the state of Tennessee.
*

1,992 home inspections have been completed.
* Community Relations specialists have distributed 17,000 flyers and worked in the counties to help identify and assist disaster survivors. They have met with:
o 2,213 residents, including 11 with special needs;
o 198 businesses;
o 136 faith-based groups;
o 61 community organizations;
o 50 social service organizations; and
o 16 schools.

* 17 counties are now designated for some type of federal disaster assistance.
o 13 counties are eligible for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance: Benton, Fayette, Hardin, Hickman, Houston, Lewis, Macon, Madison, Perry, Shelby, Sumner, Trousdale and Williamson.
o 3 counties are eligible for Public Assistance only: Fentress, Haywood and McNairy.
o 1 county is eligible for Individual Assistance only: Montgomery.

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

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, an applicant must complete an SBA loan application to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

All FEMA assistance is subject to eligibility criteria and may vary from disaster to disaster. SBA eligibility criteria are applied to all applicants. Applicants who do not qualify for an SBA loan are reviewed for grant assistance in compliance with the limits established by the state.

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.

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.

Source: FEMA

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