For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 11, 2006
Statement on Federal Assistance for Texas
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Texas
and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in
the area struck by an extreme wildfire threat beginning on December 1,
2005, and continuing.
The President's action makes Federal funding in the form of Individual
Assistance available to affected individuals in the counties of Callahan,
Cooke, Eastland, Erath, Hood, Montague, Palo Pinto, Tarrant, and Wise.
Individual Assistance is provided for losses incurred on or after December
1, 2005, and can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs,
low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to
help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the
disaster.
Public Assistance also is available for all eligible counties in the State
for emergency protective measures implemented on or after December 27,
2005. This assistance will be made available on a cost-sharing basis to
those counties being threatened with an urgent danger from wildfires. This
assistance will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard
mitigation measures statewide.
R. David Paulison, Acting Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, Department of Homeland Security, named Sandra Coachman as the
Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the
affected area.
The Agency said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and
additional counties may be designated for assistance after the assessments
are completed.
The Agency said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in
the designated counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by
registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling
1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech
impaired.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.
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