| Press Release |
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| December 10, 2007 |
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Governor Kulongoski Announces Declaration of FEMA Individual Assistance Benefits for Clatsop County
Declaration will mean help with housing, unemployment and repair to homes
Salem – Governor Ted Kulongoski announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has added Clatsop County to the list of counties that have been granted individual assistance benefits for people affected by recent storms. Individual assistance declarations provide federal resources for home repair, temporary housing and disaster unemployment insurance benefits, among other things.
“The declaration of individual assistance benefits for Clatsop County and the other affected counties is a major step in helping those impacted by the storms recover and get their lives back on track,” said Governor Kulongoski. “I very much appreciate FEMA working quickly to make this happen.”
At this point, Columbia, Tillamook and Clatsop have all been declared eligible for individual assistance by FEMA. Additionally, these three counties plus Tillamook and Lincoln counties have been given federal disaster declarations for public entities.
To apply for individual assistance, residents of Columbia, Tillamook and Clatsop counties should call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply for benefits. Additional counties may be added as damage assessments are completed.
Under the Individual Assistance program, individuals can apply for grants to help in areas including, but not limited to:
- Repair and restoration of their current home
- Temporary housing
- Disaster unemployment insurance
- Crisis counseling
- Disaster-related medical costs
- Fuels related to a primary heat source
- Moving and storage expenses
People with insurance should file a claim with their insurance company first before filing for individual assistance. Individual benefits are capped at $28,500 per individual.
People can also apply for benefits online by going to: www.fema.gov.
Also, yesterday the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the state of Oregon $1 million for road repair. There has been some confusion about that award, so to clarify: FEMA has not awarded specific dollar amounts with the disaster declaration. Those awards will be assessed on an ongoing basis. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Transportation yesterday awarded Oregon $1 million for road repair and clean up.
Contact:
Patty Wentz, 503-378-6169
Rem Nivens, 503-378-6496
Abby Kershaw (OEM), 503-378-2911 x22227
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