‘We’ll also have a disaster recovery center’ | FEMA assists rural Central Georgians after storm
‘We’ll also have a disaster recovery center’ | FEMA assists rural Central Georgians after storm
KITE, Ga. — Right now, FEMA has extended assistance for more central Georgians.
People who live in six Central Georgia counties who suffered damage due to Helene can apply for help online.
Kenneth Carroll is a council member for the city of Kite. He and other community members have been working nonstop to help others in the area.
“It took three days to be able to get around to everyone. There’s still roads that are closed,” Carroll said.
Carroll is known for helping others, and now he needs help himself after a 200-year-old tree fell on his shop.
“I’m supposed to be doing welding, fabrication, and machining. I fix a lot of the farm equipment around here,” Carroll said.
Carroll says he is fixing generators for other families and checking the city’s water tower. He hopes FEMA can give water and power back to the city.
Jaclyn Rothenberg with FEMA says 41 Georgia counties have available assistance, with more on the way.
She says in the coming days, each county will have a disaster survivor assistance team to reach people. Rothenberg says there are different types of individual assistance.
“We have serious needs assistance which is a one-time $750 payment. That’s for things like food medicine, and immediate needs that you may have like baby formula,” she said. “We also have displacement assistance. If you are staying with a friend and sleeping on their couch instead of going to a hotel, we can reimburse you for that cost.”
Rothenberg says if you are supporting anyone by ordering food, they can help pay for that and also have assistance for people who are insured and your policy doesn’t cover the full cost of damages.
Carroll says Kite First Baptist Church has been helping him and other families in the area with meals but they need help removing trees, providing power, and more.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, you can apply for FEMA assistance at disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.