Sep 2, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Diane Holm, Public Information Officer, 239-533-3710, cell 357-3540

A team of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials arrived in Lee County today to offer federal and state disaster aid to residents whose homes were adversely affected by Tropical Storm Fay floodwaters. The team will begin work at 8 a.m. Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at the shelter located at Estero Community Center.

The FEMA representatives begin advising residents about available assistance and helping them fill out forms to cover basic needs not covered by insurance. As of this morning there are 588 people in the shelter.

The team will work at the shelter daily, staggered times, for the remainder of the week or until they've reached everyone at that location in need of assistance. In addition, residents can apply by phone by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or for the speech or hearing impaired call TTY 1-800-462-7585. To apply on-line go to www.fema.gov .

Residents will need the following information to apply for assistance:
         Phone number
         Social Security number
         Current mailing address
         Address of the damaged property
         Brief description of damages
         Insurance information (if any)

Assistance will be provided in the form of grants and loans. The assistance can cover such losses as rental expense, vehicle loss and loss of medications or medical aid devices such as wheel chairs. FEMA representatives can also provide clean up information and networking assistance to identify organizations that can assist with the cleaning process.

Once this team has reached as many residents as possible, a Disaster Recovery Center will be established for long term assistance and mitigation. A site search is underway for a Disaster Recovery Center location.

With three tropical systems active in the Atlantic, Emergency Management officials are awaiting more certainty in the weather forecast to determine when or if the shelter can close and residents can be moved to temporary housing.

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