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Release Date: May 7, 2011 Release Number: 1971-023

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ATLANTA – Monroe County has been designated for disaster assistance for individuals, households and businesses as part of Alabama’s federal disaster declaration, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency officials. The addition of Monroe brings the total number of designated counties to 42.

The previously designated Alabama counties eligible for disaster assistance are: Autauga, Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Colbert, Coosa, Cullman, DeKalb, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marengo, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington and Winston counties.

Individual assistance for homeowners and renters can include grants to help pay for rental housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses not met by insurance or other assistance programs. Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration are also available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

Affected survivors and business owners in the newly designated counties may apply for assistance by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration number, 800-621-FEMA (3362). The hearing- or speech-impaired can use the TTY line at 800-462-7585. The registration lines are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., local time. An application may be completed online by going to www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

Survivors can also apply for federal assistance through their Web-enabled mobile devices or smartphones by visiting m.fema.gov.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.

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For more information on Alabama’s disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov or http://www.ema.alabama.gov/.

For the joint Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/AlabamaEMA. To receive Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/AlabamaEMA or www.twitter.com/femaregion4.