For Immediate Release
FEMA News Desk
Phone: 202-646-3272
WASHINGTON – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Florida to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma from September 4, 2017, and continuing.
The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Charlotte, Collier, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties. 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 to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, in all 67 counties in the state. For a period of 30 days from the start of the incident period, assistance for emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, is authorized at 100 percent of the total eligible costs.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Justo Hernández has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Hernández said additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of damage assessments.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
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