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NEWS

Madison to get FEMA aid

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by Jessi Polsky

Monday, September 10, 2007

Nine more Wisconsin counties were approved for disaster aid Friday following the disastrous storms that drenched much of the state in late August.

The declaration from Gov. Jim Doyle came 12 days after the original five counties — Crawford, La Crosse, Sauk, Richland, and Vernon — gained eligibility for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"This declaration will allow many of our families and businesses to access the assistance they need to recover," Doyle said in a statement Friday. "We will continue to do everything possible to make sure the people and communities affected get the help they need to make a quick recovery."

Doyle said that Disaster Unemployment Assistance, a form of aid available from FEMA, is available for workers who do not have unemployment benefits and are not yet able to work as a result of the flooding.

"This program provides benefits for those who lost employment because of the disaster and do not qualify for regular benefits," Doyle said in the statement.

So far, $2.1 million in grants have been awarded to residents of the first five counties, and millions more dollars in funding are expected to be doled out shortly.

Home and business owners from the 14 disaster-declared counties are eligible for both loans from the Small Business Administration and grants from FEMA.

Lori Getter, spokesperson for Wisconsin Emergency Management, said only homeowners and renters are eligible for FEMA funds.

"A FEMA inspector will come to your house and make the determination of what you'll be eligible for," Getter said.

Businesses cannot qualify for FEMA grants, Getter said, yet are encouraged to apply for SBA loans, which have a low interest rate of 3.125 percent.

SBA loans — like dollars granted from the DUA — are designed to help individuals and businesses that do not have adequate insurance coverage get back on their feet in the wake of a disaster, said Jelani Miller, public information officer for the Small Business Administration.

"This is a federal program for uninsured losses," Miller said. "[The] money comes directly from the treasury."

While there are no more counties currently under consideration for aid, both FEMA and the SBA anticipate receiving hundreds of applications for money in the upcoming weeks.

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