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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 17, 2006 Siskiyou County gets FEMA aid Jackson County is still waiting to hear if its flood victims qualify for federal assistance By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune Hard hit by the Dec. 31 flood, Siskiyou County in Northern California is receiving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Siskiyou County’s federal declaration as a disaster area paved the way for FEMA assistance, according to county officials. FEMA representatives are registering victims and giving out information about disaster relief and loans. Jackson County, however, still has not received word on possible federal assistance. Teams from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration in early February examined structures damaged by flooding in Medford, Shady Cove and Rogue River, "but we don’t know if the ones we reported met their criteria (for assistance,)" said Mike Curry, Jackson County emergency management coordinator. "They left and we haven’t heard a thing from them." Advertisement For federal assistance, the county must have 25 houses or businesses in which flooding damaged at least 40 percent of the structure in order to meet the threshold for SBA loans, and the buildings must not be insured for flooding — standards that have been hard to meet, said Curry. It’s a different story in Siskiyou County, where officials reported nine homes destroyed, 74 with major damage and 56 with minor damage, for a total of $3.7 million in losses, said Susan Gravenkamp of county emergency services. Flood victims may register with FEMA online ( www.fema.gov ) or by calling 800-621-3362. They also can register at Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers through Saturday at the Yreka armory, Monday through Wednesday at Fort Jones City Hall and Feb. 23-25 at the Forest Service office in Happy Camp. The mobile centers are mostly being used to answer questions about application for aid, including low-interest SBA loans, FEMA grants and temporary housing assistance. Eleven families are still living in motels after losing homes to flooding. "People have a lot of mixed emotions," said Gravenkamp. "They’ve always helped themselves and say they can do it now, but very few had flood insurance. "Some are finding damage well after the fact, like a church that came in here saying mold was so bad they all had to leave." Assistance to victims is based on their income and extent of damage — and applicants have until April 2 to file. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. E-mail him at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement