LANSING, Mich. – As of Thursday, February 22, FEMA assistance to survivors of the August 24-26, 2023, severe storms, tornadoes and flooding in Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland and Wayne counties has topped $4.6 million.
Here is a snapshot of FEMA disaster assistance to date:
- More than 1,632 households have been approved for FEMA grant funding totaling more than $4.6 million including:
- More than $4 million in housing grants, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs.
- More than $635,000 for other essential disaster-related needs, such as expenses related to medical, dental and lost personal possessions.
- More than 2,954 home inspections have been completed.
- SBA has received 473 applicants for low-interest disaster loans and has approved six loans totaling $144,500.
- One Business Recovery Center is currently open in Monroe County.
- In addition to the FEMA assistance that has been provided to survivors, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has awarded more than $2.7 million to 77 applicants whose homes or property were damaged in the August 24-26 storms.
- Participating in the NFIP can save thousands of dollars. An inch of floodwater per 1,000 square feet can cost about $10,000 to repair. Yet, most private insurance companies do not cover flood damage.
FEMA’s Disaster Survivor Assistance crews are currently out in the field, visiting homes, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in affected areas to help residents register for assistance, identify, and address immediate and emerging needs, and make referrals to other local, state, and voluntary agencies for additional support.
A Disaster Recovery Center opened at 8 a.m. Thursday, February 22, in Williamston (Ingham County). A recovery center is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Friday, February 23, in Chesterfield (Macomb County). More centers will soon be open in other impacted areas, where FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration specialists can help you upload documents, answer questions and provide information on available resources. The centers serve as onestop shops for survivors who need one-on-one help. Survivors can visit any center for assistance. For locations and hours, visit fema.gov/drc.
Residents affected by the August storms with uninsured to under-insured losses are encouraged to apply for federal assistance if they haven’t done so already. The deadline to apply is April 8, 2024.
Apply one of three ways:
- Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Use the FEMA mobile app.
- Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Multilingual operators are available. If
you use video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.
For more information about the disaster recovery operation in Michigan, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4757.