MARIETTA (Sept. 24, 2009) – Members of the Cobb County Legislative Delegation have been inundated with calls from their constituents asking how Cobb residents can help their neighbors who have been devastated by this week’s floods. They are pleased to announce the Center for Family Resources (CFR) in Marietta has set up a special account for this purpose. All donations will remain in Cobb County to help those affected while they anxiously await federal funds. There will be a specific designated donation block on the Center for Family Resources main page at www.thecfr.org.
“Severe damage from rain and flooding has occurred throughout Cobb County. Many of our neighbors have been forced to seek shelter at the Cobb County Civic Center. We want residents to know how they can help each other. This is about neighbors helping neighbors. I’m glad we could come together as a team to help facilitate getting emergency aid to those who need it most,” said Sen. John Wiles, chairman of the Cobb Delegation. “I want to thank Representatives Judy Manning, Alisha Thomas Morgan and Ed Setzler for working diligently with CFR to help our citizens.”
Organizations are requesting donations instead of items, so they can provide essentials such as food, water, clothing and shelter first. Those able to help can call 770.428.2601, extension 254. Donations can also be mailed or hand delivered to CFR at 995 Roswell Street, Suite 100, Marietta, GA 30060.
Damage was widespread in Cobb County with over 200 people sleeping on cots at the Cobb Civic Center. The Red Cross has set up several shelters throughout the state and they are anticipated to stay open for the next two weeks. Some Cobb families lost their entire home and belongings, while others will return to significant damage. Because a lot of the flooding in Cobb County was outside the flood plain, many of these residents did not have flood insurance. They will have to rely on help from where they can – the federal and state government, non-profit organizations and their neighbors.
It is unknown what level of federal funding will be available or how quickly Georgia will receive aid. Federal aid and state matching requirements for federal aid are unique to each federal emergency or disaster. The FY10 budget allocated $3.4 million for the Governor’s Emergency Fund to provide a ready source of funding to respond to unforeseen state emergencies. Since parts of Cobb have been declared a disaster area by the federal government, individuals affected by the flood may be able to apply to FEMA for relief assistance through two primary programs:
• Individuals Seeking Housing Assistance: FEMA offers temporary housing for people needing to rent a place to live for a limited period of time. Additionally FEMA provides money for homeowners to repair or replace housing not covered by insurance. People will not qualify if the damaged home is located in a designated flood hazard area and the community is not participating in the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Individuals with Other Needs: Funding is available for disaster-related medical and dental costs, disaster-related funeral and burial cost, clothing, household items, tools required for ones job, necessary educational materials, clean-up items, and moving and storage expenses related to the disaster.
Additional disaster relief programs can be found at www.disasterassistance.gov. Georgia may be eligible for these programs once a disaster or emergency status is determined. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) can make federally subsidized loans to repair or replace homes, personal property or businesses that sustained damages not covered by insurance. The SBA provides:
• Home disaster loans to homeowners and renters to repair or replace disaster-related damages to home or personal property;
• Business physical disaster loans to business owners to repair or replace disaster-damaged property, including inventory, and supplies; and
• Economic injury disaster loans, which provide capital to small businesses and to small agricultural cooperatives to assist them through the disaster recovery period.
Sen. John Wiles serves as chief deputy whip, chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee, and chairman of the Cobb Legislative Delegation. He represents the 37th Senate District, which includes a portion of Cobb County. He may be reached by phone at 404.657.0406 or by e-mail at john.wiles@senate.ga.gov.
Members of the Cobb Legislative Delegation include Sen. Chip Rogers, Sen. Judson Hill, Sen. Doug Stoner, Sen. Steve Thompson, Rep. Sharon Cooper, Rep. Matt Dollar, Rep. Earl Ehrhart, Rep. Bobby Franklin, Rep. Rich Golick, Rep. Terry Johnson, Rep. Sheila Jones, Rep. Judy Manning, Rep. Don Parsons, Rep. Ed Setzler, Rep. Rob Teilhet, Rep. Alisha Thomas, Rep. Pat Dooley, Rep. Don Wix.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
September 24, 2009
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
raegan.weber@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028