Orange County residents, businesses can apply for federal disaster aid

Warwick — President Bush has declared Orange County as a federal disaster area following last week’s storm, meaning that local residents and businesses may start applying for the federal aid to begin rebuilding, according to information supplied by Audeen Moore, administrative assistant in the Orange County Department of Emergency Services, Division of Emergency Management The disaster number is DR-1692. Individual residents must register with Federal Emergency Management Agency either online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. The declaration at this point applies only to individuals and businesses that suffered damage from the storm. County officials have been told that FEMA is still reviewing damage to public facilities n including governments and schools -- to determine if they qualify. To apply, storm victims will need to: • Contact your insurance company: If you are not covered for the storm damage by your insurance company, you may be eligible for federal aid. You will need to obtain a letter from your insurance company saying you are not covered. As part of the aid process, FEMA will set up Disaster Recovery Centers where victims may apply for aid or get information about disaster assistance programs. Those centers have not been designated yet. For the latest update, visit www.fema.gov for more information about applying for aid. Moore can be reached by phone at 291-3198 or by e-mail at amoore@co.orange.ny.us.