STORMS AFTERMATH Officials urge victims to use available aid

Victims must call an 800 number and register to initiate the aid process.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
HANOVERTON -- Disaster officials are urging flood victims to apply for the aid that's available and not to assume they wouldn't qualify.
So far, 4,752 people and businesses in Columbiana, Trumbull and Mahoning counties have registered by phone for federal disaster relief, Ronald Sherman, a coordinating officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Tuesday.
County by county, the count is Columbiana, 289; Trumbull, 2,451; and Mahoning, 2,012.
Sherman didn't immediately have a breakdown of how many individuals and businesses have filed, but he estimated about 7 percent of the registrants are businesses.
About 25 families in the tri-county area have been left homeless by recent flooding, Sherman said.
Although hundreds have registered for aid, there may be others who should register and have not.
Registering with FEMA is the first step in getting disaster aid, he said.
To do so, call (800) 621-3362.
Registrants are given a number, which identifies them throughout the aid process.
Aid is not necessarily based on income, Sherman said.
One guideline used in determining aid eligibility is whether the flood loss is covered by insurance.
Grants of up to $5,000 are available to help pay for uninsured flood damages.
FEMA's goal is to have a check to qualified applicants within 10 days of application, Sherman said.
Federal loans with interest rates below 3 percent may also be obtained.
In typical disaster situations, about 60 percent of victims seek federal loans, he said.
Recovery center
Sherman was at United School in Hanover Township Tuesday, monitoring activity at a state and federal disaster recovery center established there Monday.
The recovery center, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, is for flood victims who have already registered with FEMA and who want face-to-face help with the aid application process.
Aid can be obtained over the phone and through the mail.
The center at United will stay open until officials determine it's no longer needed.
As of Tuesday, more than 30 people had visited the center, with the busiest day being Monday, when 27 people came. Sherman said the turnout is about what officials expected.
U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, also visited the recovery center Tuesday.
Strickland said flood victims he's spoken with have expressed frustration over what happened, but he hasn't heard any complaints regarding federal, state and local officials' handling of the disaster and its aftermath.