President Obama signs Illinois Disaster Declaration
Federal assistance now available through FEMA Washington, D.C. -- On August 19, President Barak Obama officially declared that a major disaster exists in the state of Illinois and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of July 22 to August 7, 2010.
The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Carroll, Cook, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gregory W. Eaton as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of further damage assessments. FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance right away by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free
telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
A message from the City of Elmhurst...
In regards to FEMA applications, the link: http://www.fema.gov/news/event.fema?id=13172 appears to be Illinois specific and brings you right to Illinois information and the online application. This information will be on the City website ASAP. If people do not wish to use the Internet to apply, call FEMA directly at (800)621-FEMA (3362). Illinois residents may begin applying for assistance immediately.
The toll-free telephone number is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) Monday through Sunday until further notice. Applicants registering for aid should be prepared to provide basic information about themselves (name, permanent address, phone number), insurance coverage and any other information to help substantiate losses.
Important facts...
There are three important FEMA application facts for the public to know:
1. If you did not fill out a FEMA initial damage assessment form, you are still qualified to apply for assistance.
2. If you did fill out an initial assessment form, you still need to fill out a new application.
3. FEMA will be accepting applications for approximately two months.
