Joint Information Center
Wichita, Kansas
Disaster News
August 17, 2007
KS-1711-07-039
Media Contacts:
FEMA: News Desk 316-524-1006
KDEM: Sharon Watson 785-274-1192
SBA: Kevin Wynne 916-847-2638
TWO WEEKS LEFT TO REGISTER AS DISASTER ASSISTANCE TOPS $33 MILLION
FOR JUNE STORMS
WICHITA, Kan. – With two weeks left to apply for assistance, more than $33 million ($33,161,025)
in assistance already has been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and
the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as they continue to assist the state of Kansas and the
Kansas Division of Emergency Management (KDEM) in the recovery from the severe storms and
flooding June 26-July 25.
Residents in the 23 counties eligible for Individual Assistance under the July 2 declaration and
subsequent amendments who suffered damage from the June/July storms and flooding have just
over two weeks to call and register for assistance.
The registration deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007.
The 23 counties eligible for Individual Assistance are Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua,
Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Edwards, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Harper, Labette, Linn,
Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Pawnee, Wilson, and Woodson.
The toll-free telephone registration line, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
CDT, Monday through Saturday. The TTY number for residents with special speech or hearing
needs is TTY 1-800-462-7585. Eligible residents also can register online at www.fema.gov.
Disaster recovery efforts through August 16 include:

3,869 individuals and households from 23 designated counties have applied for assistance.

More than $13 million ($13,574,510) in Housing Assistance has been approved to cover rental
assistance, temporary lodging and housing repairs.

More than $3 million ($3,391,893 in Other Needs Assistance (ONA) has been approved to
cover personal property loss, medical costs and other serious disaster-related expenses not
covered by insurance.

6,619 visits to Disaster Recovery Centers throughout the region have been made by people
affected by the disaster who have met with recovery experts there.
(more)
Page 2 – TWO WEEKS LEFT…AS DISASTER ASSISTANCE TOPS $33 MILLION…

3,084 home inspections have been conducted.

Public Assistance grants totaling $103,622 have been obligated to date in response to the first
five of 215 Requests for Public Assistance (RPAs) from public entities (counties, cities, certain
private non-profit agencies). The remaining RPAs currently are being evaluated and additional
RPAs are being received. Under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, qualifying jurisdictions
can be partially reimbursed for eligible emergency protective measures, debris removal, and the
repair or replacement of damaged facilities and infrastructure.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved more than $16 million
($16,091,300) in low-interest disaster loans to Kansas residents and businesses. The SBA
provides low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, non-profit organizations and businesses of
all sizes.
SBA representatives at all the Disaster Recovery Centers will continue to meet individually with each
applicant to provide assistance in completing their disaster loan application, answer any questions
about SBA’s disaster loan program, and accept completed disaster loan applications. Anyone not able
to visit a center should call 1-800-659-2955 for SBA assistance or visit the Web site at
www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.
Under the July 2 declaration and subsequent amendments, FEMA Public Assistance grants are
authorized to assist state and local government agencies and certain private nonprofit organizations
with the response to and recovery from the disaster in 21 counties: Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Butler,
Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Harper, Labette, Linn,
Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Wilson, and Woodson. For more information, governmental
and private, non-profit organizations in these counties should contact their local emergency
management officials.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of,
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of
terror.
Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age,
disability, economic status or retaliation. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, you
should call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or contact your State Office of Equal Rights. If you are
suspicious of any abuse of FEMA programs, please contact the Fraud hotline at 1-800-323-8603.
SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged
private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations
fund repairs or rebuilding efforts, and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property.
These disaster loans cover uninsured and uncompensated losses and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies
or organizations.
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Editors: for more information on the Kansas disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or www.ks.gov/ksadjutantgeneral/
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