CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Gov. Joe Manchin today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared that residents in Mercer County are now eligible for individual assistance for disaster aid following extensive flooding that took place in May.
“I am pleased that FEMA extended the declaration to include individuals in Mercer County,” Manchin said. “Providing disaster assistance to these victims will help them rebuild more quickly and put the pieces of their lives back together.”
Mercer County residents have until July 14, 2009, to apply for assistance. Residents, business owners and those who work in Mercer County who suffered disaster-related losses should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired. Call center hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Applications are also taken online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
Assistance may include temporary housing and housing repair, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans for individuals and businesses to repair or replace damaged property, and grants for serious needs and necessary disaster-related expenses not met by other programs.
Previously, Mercer County was eligible only for public assistance grants that are awarded to state and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.
This declaration expansion brings the number of counties eligible for individual assistance to six: Calhoun, Mingo, McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh and Wyoming.