CLINTON, Miss. – Federal assistance approved for people in 29 Mississippi counties that were declared a major disaster area by the president because of devastating storms and tornadoes has reached $11,667,808.
Here is a summary through Wednesday, June 8, of all federal assistance to individuals who suffered losses due to the storms and tornadoes of April 2011:
• $7,094,008 in total housing and personal needs has been approved.
• Of that amount, $5,933,305 has been approved for housing expenses, including temporary rental assistance, home repair costs and assistance toward replacing destroyed homes.
• $1,160,702 has been approved as “Other Needs Assistance” to cover essential disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses and lost personal possessions.
•$4,573,800 in loans to homeowners, renters or business owners has been approved by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
• 6,926 applicants have registered with FEMA for some form of disaster assistance.
• 2,897 visits have been made at Disaster Recovery Centers operated jointly by FEMA and the state of Mississippi.
• 4,250 home inspections to confirm disaster damage have been completed.
Teams of MEMA and FEMA Community Relations field specialists have distributed more than 44,304 flyers and worked in the affected counties to help identify and assist disaster survivors. In the course of explaining the recovery process, they have visited:
• 13,149 residents
•1,675 businesses
• 1,228 faith-based groups
• 267 community organizations
• 70 schools
• 456 emergency managers, fire and law enforcement officials
• 406 government officials
• 119 post offices
Several forms of federal assistance may be available, but people must first register with FEMA. That can be done by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585. Telephone registration is available between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily. FEMA will assist anyone with a disability who needs help registering-just ask.
Application can also be made on FEMA’s website, http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov at any time. A person can also track the status of an application on that site. Another way to register is by web-enabled cell phone at m.fema.gov.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.