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On January 11, 2006 in a Press Release
the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) announced that federal
disaster aid has been made available
for Texas to supplement state and local
recovery efforts in the area struck
by an extreme wildfire threat beginning
on December 1, 2005, and continuing
through the current date and foreseeable
future. (FEMA Press Release Number:
HQ-06-010)
Acting FEMA Director David Paulison
said federal funding in the form of
Individual Assistance is available to
affected individuals in the counties
of Callahan, Cooke, Eastland, Erath,
Hood, Montague, Palo Pinto, Tarrant,
and Wise. Individual Assistance is provided
for losses incurred on or after December
1, 2005, and 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.
Public Assistance also is available
for emergency protective measures implemented
on or after December 27, 2005 for all
eligible counties in the State. This
assistance will be made available on
a cost-sharing basis to State and local
governments for those counties being
threatened with an urgent danger from
wildfires. This assistance will be provided
at 75% Federal funding. Federal funding
is also available on a cost-sharing
basis for hazard mitigation measures
statewide.
Acting Director Paulison named Sandra
Coachman as the Federal Coordinating
Officer (FCO) for Federal recovery operations
in the affected area. Coachman said
that damage surveys are continuing in
other areas, and additional counties
may be designated for assistance after
the assessments are completed.
Residents and business owners who sustained
losses in the designated counties can
begin applying for assistance tomorrow
by registering online at www.fema.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 8 a.m. to
8 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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