Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

FEMA Assistance Tally Is More Than Half A Million Dollars For Local Tornado Victims

The tornado's path of destruction stretched for miles. It touched down in Greensboro on April 15, 2018. This is Peeler Elementary, one of the Guilford County schools that sustained extensive damage from the storm. KERI BROWN/WFDD

So far, the federal government has given more than half a million dollars to assist local tornado victims in Guilford and Rockingham Counties.

It's been nearly two months since an EF-2 tornado ripped through Greensboro, destroying homes, businesses and schools. One person was killed. The storm also ravaged communities in Rockingham County. 

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 1,169 people in Guilford County have registered for federal assistance. In Rockingham County the number is 90. Roger Ingram with FEMA says the money will help victims get a fresh start.

“It will help a person with rental assistance and repairs to their homes. It can help with furniture, automobile repair and other items,” says Ingram. "It's extremely important that they talk with their insurance company and find out exactly what coverage they will get from them. Once they've settled with their insurance company, if they are underinsured or uninsured, they can come back to FEMA with their settlement letter and there may be other assistance available for that individual.”

FEMA also partners with the U.S. Small Business Administration to help people recover from disaster situations. The agency offers low interest rate loans. SBA officials say as of this week, they've approved more than $400,000 to help individuals and local business owners affected by the storm.

“We have received 741 home referrals from FEMA and 143 business referrals," says A.J. Velazquez, a public affairs specialist with the Small Business Administration Office of Disaster Assistance.

FEMA officials say individuals shouldn't wait to apply for federal aid. The registration deadline for that is July 9th.

Ingram says victims can receive help with the process and SBA loan application at the Disaster Recovery Center located on Maple Street in Greensboro.

Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate