Checks already written for $2.5 million in disaster relief

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[In just four days since residents started making applications for disaster assistance on Wednesday morning, more than $2.5 million in grants have been approved to help Illinois survivors recover from the severe storms and flooding, which began in late April and are continuing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working closely with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to provide timely federal assistance necessary for disaster recovery in the 14 counties designated for assistance to homeowners, renters and business owners.

The following summarizes the ongoing disaster operation as of close of business Saturday, June 11:

$2,541,619 in disaster assistance grants have been approved for temporary housing, home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance

280 claims have been approved and another 283 are pending

Turnaround time to receive an inspection after applying is less than a day and half

More than 1,000 Illinois residents have applied for assistance

Individuals are encouraged to apply for federal assistance by completing an application online anytime at www.disasterassistance.gov or by web enabled mobile device at m.fema.gov or by calling toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Both numbers are available seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (CDT) until further notice. Help in other languages is available.

Perry County is among the 14 Southern Illinois counties which qualifies for disaster aid.