REISTERSTOWN, MD (November 19, 2012) – Maryland state agencies have been providing assistance to residents of the lower Eastern Shore affected by Hurricane Sandy, while still awaiting a decision about the requested Presidential Disaster Declaration. Maryland requested a Presidential Declaration for Public Assistance for the entire state and Individual Assistance for Dorchester, Somerset and Worcester counties on November 8.
“Because we asked for Individual Assistance in three counties, it is taking our federal partners additional time to process our request,” said Ken Mallette, Executive Director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency. “Delaware received their disaster declaration sooner, in all likelihood because they only asked for Public Assistance. We believe it is imperative that we also try to get Individual Assistance because of the damage to private property and impact to individuals in those three counties.”
A Public Assistance declaration provides assistance to state and local government and certain nonprofit agencies for damage to facilities, the cost of protective measures (such as additional police and fire services) and debris removal, usually by reimbursing 75 percent of eligible costs. Individual Assistance, on the other hand, is for families or businesses which have uninsured damages to property as a result of a federally declared disaster. Most of that assistance is in the form of loans, and not grants.
Meanwhile, several state agencies have been working with local partners and volunteer groups to provide assistance to individuals on the lower Eastern Shore, especially in the Crisfield area, since Hurricane Sandy has passed.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development is working with approximately 160 families to find appropriate housing assistance programs, while the Maryland Department of Human Resources is currently providing hotel housing for eight families. The Crisfield Public Housing Authority has about 70 families in hotels and has already begun repairs to 42 of the 140 units in the Somer’s Cove development that were damages by the tidal surge.
For about two weeks after Sandy, the Maryland Department of Human Resources coordinated Essential Services Centers in Crisfield and Westover, bringing representatives from several state agencies and volunteer groups together under one roof so affected residents could learn about assistance programs, damage clean-up, dealing with mold issues and disaster mental health programs. More than 450 received information from the centers. Another 170 callers received similar information from a toll-free number set up by the Maryland Department of Human Resources to provide information to those affected.
State and local agencies and volunteers coordinated and staffed shelters in the three counties for 690 people and 98 pets who evacuated from flood-prone areas and kept them open for several days, while a faith-based organization in Crisfield has served more than 2,500 hot meals and other volunteers distributed food, water, clean-up kits and other donations. The Maryland Insurance Administration has helped 25 residents deal with insurance-related issues.
During the height of the evacuation, members of the Maryland National Guard, Maryland State Police and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police helped local first responders to evacuate several hundred residents of Crisfield because of rising tides.
“We understand residents of the lower Eastern Shore may be frustrated at the lack of a Presidential Disaster Declaration,” Mallette said. “It is important to remember that a declaration is based on conditions throughout the county, not just those experienced in one household or a small community. We are working closely with our Congressional delegation to receive an answer as soon as possible. But state agencies have continued to work with local agencies and nonprofits to assist residents of the area.”
Somerset County residents still needing assistance should call (toll-free) 888-756-7836.
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