FEDERAL DISASTER PROGRAMS
On March 1, 2001, President Bush granted Governor Locke's request that Washington state be declared a disaster area and that Kitsap, King, Lewis, Mason, Pierce and Thurston counties are eligible for federal assistance funds in the form of grants, aid, and low-interest loans for public infrastructure, businesses, and individuals. Grays Harbor and Snohomish Counties are eligible only for individual and mitigation assistance.
FEMA's William Lokey has been named to head the effort and they have established a central number for all inquiries and requests for assistance: 1-800-462-9029, or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) -- for the hearing and speech impaired. The deadline for applying for FEMA/SBA assistance is April 30, 2001.
Please see below for a list of federal programs available for constituents in affected counties – both individual and public assistance programs.
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INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE
1. Federal Emergency Management Agency
Temporary Housing Assistance is available to homeowners and renters whose permanent residences were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake, and are deemed uninhabitable. Grants apply only to damage threatening safety of house. Assistance includes funding for alternate rental housing, grants for emergency repairs, mobile home assistance, mortgage and rental assistance, and referrals to other housing programs.
Eligibility requirements: 1) primary residence has sustained disaster-related damage rendering it uninhabitable; 2) any damages not covered by insurance or if more than two-week delay is expected in receiving insurance settlement Individual and Family Grants up to $14,400 (average grant tends to be $2,000 to $4,000) are available to individuals and families to help meet serious disaster-related needs and immediate, necessary expenses not covered by insurance or other federal, state, and volunteer disaster assistance programs.
Eligibility requirements: These services are available to persons with serious unmet needs who are not eligible for a SBA disaster loan. The Public Assistance Program provides supplemental Federal disaster grant assistance for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private non-profit organizations.
Eligibility requirements: 1) The repair or reconstruction must be a result of the declared event and within the disaster area; 2) The repair or reconstruction must be the legal responsibility of the eligible applicant; and 3) The work must of be of the following nature: debris removal; emergency protective measures; roads and bridges; water control; buildings and equipment; utilities; pubic parks, public recreational facilities and certain other facilities. Applicant Briefings will be held within the disaster area to inform eligible applicants of necessary information. These briefings will be widely advertised by the media throughout the disaster area. Requests for assistance should be submitted at these briefings or submitted to the state before the application deadline has passed. No firm application deadline has been set for assistance.
Website: FEMA's Public Assistance Program
Legal Assistance free service provided in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association for disaster victims.
Eligibility requirements 1) Program intended for low-income individuals who, prior to or because of the disaster, are unable to secure legal services adequate to meet their needs as a consequence of the disaster. Aging Services provides meals, home care and transportation for the elderly.
Eligibility requirements: 1) available only for individuals age 60 or older. Crisis Counseling is available through grants to local mental health agencies. Am immediate service and a regular program is available.
Eligibility requirements: 1) individual receiving the services must be a resident of designated area or must have been located in the area at the time disaster occurred; 2) person must have a mental health problem which was caused by or aggravated by the disaster or its aftermath. Website: www.FEMA.gov
2. Small Business Administration Loans are intended to bring the business or home to pre-disaster condition. The maximum term of the loan is 30 years.
Home Disaster Loans -- limit of $200,000 real estate/$40,000 personal property. Business Physical Disaster Loans -- limit of $1,500,000 or actual injury
Economic Injury Loans -- limit of $1,500,000 or actual injury
Eligibility for All Loans: For all SBA loans, the requirements are: 1) losses must be uninsured; 2) secondary homes, personal pleasure boats, airplanes, recreational vehicles and similar property are not eligible; 3) property is covered only to the extent of functional value; 4) collateral is required for all physical loss loans over $10,000 and all Economic Injury loans over $5,000; 5) need reasonable credit and ability to pay; 6) need to get and maintain insurance during the loan; 7) need tax returns filed. Website: SBA Disaster Assistance
3. The Internal Revenue Service
Deductibility of Losses: The IRS will allow certain casualty losses to be deducted off of federal income tax returns. Eligibility requirements: for individuals and families with disaster-related losses of over 10% of adjusted gross income.
Websites: Disaster Area Losses
Deduction Limits
Figuring a Loss
Disaster Area Losses - Topic 515
4. The Social Security Administration
SSA can resolve problems due to lost/destroyed Social Security checks, or lost/destroyed pending claims on an expedited basis.
5. The Department of Labor
Unemployment Insurance: DOL can provide unemployment assistance to: 1) workers who suffer a loss or interruption of work as a direct result of a major disaster; and 2) self-employed individuals, including farmers and day care providers, who lost or suffered a substantial reduction or interruption of self-employment activities as a direct result of a major disaster.
Eligibility Requirements: An individual may qualify for disaster unemployment assistance (DUA) if: 1) they worked in or were scheduled to begin work in a county declared as a federal disaster county; 2) they cannot work as a direct result of a disaster; 3) the work they can’t perform is their primary source of income and livelihood; and 4) they don’t qualify for regular unemployment insurance from any state.
DUA benefits are normally one-half of the individual’s weekly wage (gross wages for workers and net wages for the self-employed) during the previous tax year, up to a legislative maximum. Weekly DUA payments are reduced by gross income from livestock, grain, dairy or produce sales; wages from work or fees for services; social security benefits; and private income protection insurance.
Payment is made only for the time claimants can’t work as a direct result of the major disaster. A DUA period normally lasts approximately 26 weeks.
Website: Disaster Unemployment Assistance
6. The United States Department of Agriculture
Food Stamps: Disaster food stamp benefits are available to some affected counties in the state. To date, 50,000 new households have been approved to receive disaster food stamps for approximately 138,000 people. The benefits total $14.8 million. Applications for the program were due by September 29, but the state may request an extended period.
Benefits last for one month, and may also, at the request of the state, be extended.
For more information contact the state hot line:
Loan Assistance: USDA can provide up to $500,000 in loan assistance to repair or replace damaged residences on farms and up to $20,000 in loan assistance for the replacement of lost personal property.
Emergency Conservation Program: USDA can make payments to agricultural producers who carry out emergency measures to rehabilitate farmlands damaged by earthquakes (16 U.S.C. 2201).
Eligibility: New conservation problems have to have been created by the earthquake that (1) if not treated will impair or endanger the land, (2) materially affect the productivity of the land, (3) represent damage that is unusual and that would not recur frequently in the same area, and (4) will be so costly to rehabilitate that federal assistance is or will be required to return the land to productive agricultural use.
Other Measures: USDA can also undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain easements, for runoff retardation and soul-erosion prevention (16 U.S.C. 2203).
Administered by the Farm Service Agency Website: Farm Service Agency Emergency Conservation Program
Crop Loss Disaster Assistance Program: Subject to appropriations, the USDA can grant emergency financial assistance to producers on a farms who have lost crops due to a natural disaster. Previously, the program has covered insured, uninsured, and uninsurable crop losses.
No such appropriations have yet been made for 1999 crop losses. For information about the program for 1998 and multi-year losses (1994-1998) see the following website.
Website: Crop Loss Disaster Assistance Program
The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program: Agricultural producers must have been enrolled in this program before the earthquake.
Website: Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program
Emergency Loan Assistance:
Emergency Haying and Grazing Assistance
Website: Emergency Haying and Grazing Assistance
The United States Department of Commerce
Fisheries Disaster Relief: Subject to appropriations, the National Marine Fisheries Service can provide disaster assistance to commercial fishermen. The assistance can take the form of boat buyouts, habitat restoration, etc. The money can be used essentially as Congress directs when it appropriates the money.
State must match Federal appropriation under Magnuson Act by 25%
State match for Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act
FEMA IS THE COORDINATING AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PUBLIC AND INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
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FEDERAL DISASTER PROGRAMS PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
1. Federal Emergency Management Agency
State and local governments are eligible for at least 75% of eligible costs of repairing or restoring damaged or destroyed public facilities. If total damage from the disaster reaches a critical point, (exceeds $65 per capita statewide) the State may apply to FEMA to have its cost share reduced to as low as 10%. Hazard mitigation grants may also be awarded to minimize losses from future disasters.
Local governments that suffer considerable tax loss due to major disasters may receive loans to meet operating expenses. These loans can be up to 25% of the government's operating expenses.
2. Federal Highway Administration
Funds may be provided for the repair and reconstruction of highways in the Federal-aid system that are damaged by disasters. Assistance is limited to $100 million per State per disaster.
3. Economic Development Administration
Funds may be provided to help communities that have been affected by natural disasters address long term economic recovery issues such as infrastructure improvements and public services. Funds may also be provided to assist the community plan and coordinate long term recovery efforts.
4. Department of Justice
States may apply for emergency federal law enforcement assistance needed in connection with a disaster.
5. United States Army Corps of Engineers
Flood control structures damaged by disasters may be repaired by the Corps; state and local governments must provide a 20% match of certain eligible costs.
6. Department of Education
Funds may be provided to repair damages to school property, operating cost of school system, and purchase of supplies.
7. Department of Agriculture
Emergency Watershed Protection Program: The program provides funding to project sponsors for such work as clearing debris from clogged waterways, restoring vegetation, and stabilizing river banks. The measures that are taken must be environmentally and economically sound and generally benefit more than one property owner.
The program provides up to 75% of the funds needed to restore the natural function of a watershed. The community or local sponsor of the work pays the remaining 25%, which can be provided by cash or in-kind services.
In addition, the program also is offering a new flood plain easement option on agricultural land, which gives producers the opportunity to offer their land for a flood plain easement. The easements provide permanent restoration of the natural flood plain hydrology as an alternative to traditional attempts to restore damaged levees, lands, and structures. The easement lands would be ineligible for future Federal disaster assistance.
Eligibility: Owners, managers, and users of public, private, or tribal lands are eligible for assistance if their watershed area has been damaged by a natural disaster. Each project, with the exception of flood plain easements, requires a sponsor who applies for the assistance. A sponsor can be any legal subdivision of State or local government, including local officials of city, county, or State governments, Indian tribes, soil conservation districts, U.S. Forest Service, and watershed authorities.
Website: Emergency Watershed Protection
Administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service
FEMA IS THE COORDINATING AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PUBLIC AND INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
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