Federal disaster aid for individuals and business owners affected by Tropical Storm Frances has been extended in North Carolina to include the counties of Alexander, Bladen, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Columbus, Cumberland, Gaston, Hoke, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Scotland, Robeson, and Union, according to officials of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Justin DeMello, federal coordinating officer, said residents of those 15 counties who suffered uninsured or underinsured damages from Sept. 7-12 are eligible to apply for federal aid that can include grants to help pay for temporary housing and home repairs as well as other disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are also available to cover homeowners, renters, and businesses of any size for losses not fully compensated by insurance.
The 15 new counties bring to 30 the number of North Carolina counties designated eligible for Individual Assistance as a result of Tropical Storm Frances. Previously designated counties are: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey.
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