President declares disaster in Burke
By Anne Marie Kyzer annemariek@thetruecitizen.com

Burke County has been declared a federal disaster area.

President George W. Bush issued the declaration Saturday after Gov. Sonny Perdue requested aid for areas hit hard by tornados and thunderstorms nearly two weeks ago.

The declaration makes Burke County eligible for public and individual assistance as the local government and residents deal with property and other losses.

A disaster recovery center will be set up at the Citizens Park Gymnasium on Highway 24 South in Waynesboro starting tomorrow (Thursday). Residents may apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and several state agencies that will be represented at the recovery center. It will be open 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week. Though the center will be closed Sunday, it should reopen Monday and remain available to residents for about a week depending on the number of people who need assistance, according to Burke County EMA Chief Rusty Sanders.

Sanders said representatives from FEMA were expected to arrive this morning to begin contacting some residents in the most severely affected areas of the county to notify them of available assistance at the center

Since severe storms and tornados struck the weekend of March 15, seven counties in Georgia have been classified as disaster areas, including Bartow, Burke, DeKalb, Floyd, Fulton, Jefferson and Polk counties.

A disaster declaration is based on preliminary damage assessments conducted by emergency management agencies.

A monetary estimate of damage to Burke County has not yet been released.

WHAT IS A DISASTER DECLARATION?

A disaster declaration makes federal funds available to offset the cost of emergency response, debris removal and repairs to damaged public and non-profit facilities.

Eligible individuals may receive funding for temporary housing, home repairs and other expenses. Low-interest loans may also be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance. Unemployment assistance may be given to those who have lost income as a result of the storms.
DISASTER ASSISTANCE
To apply:
A Disaster Recovery Center will be set up in the Citizens Park Gymnasium
Highway 24 South, Waynesboro
Hours: 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Thursday, Friday & Saturday
(The center should reopen Monday and be available for around a week
depending on the number of people in need.)
By phone:
1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY)
Online:
www.fema.gov