U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will provide Individual Assistance for residents of Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, and Sagadahoc Counties who were impacted by the Patriot’s Day storm.
“This declaration means federal aid can now be provided to help the residents of these four additional counties recover from extensive damage caused by last month’s devastating storm,” said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “Eligibility for public, and now individual, assistance will help these communities recover. We have been in constant contact with local, state, and federal officials throughout this process, and we are pleased that this declaration has been made.”
Last month, FEMA declared 12 Maine counties federal disaster areas, making them eligible for federal disaster assistance to help restore public infrastructure. Earlier this month, FEMA declared residents of Cumberland and York Counties eligible to receive individual assistance. Individual assistance will now also help residents of Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, and Sagadahoc Counties pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other aid programs.
In a letter to FEMA Administrator R. David Paulison, Senators Snowe and Collins urged FEMA to quickly determine whether Individual Assistance would be authorized for home and business owners who experienced considerable property damage in the wake of the Patriot’s Day storm. Snowe and Collins backed Maine Governor John Baldacci’s recent request to President Bush to authorize Individual Assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act).
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