FEMA boosts aid for quake damage

Agencies are eligible to recover 75 percent of costs; homeowners will be offered loans

HILO » Financial assistance for homes, businesses and nonprofit organizations damaged by the Oct. 15 earthquakes was boosted by the federal government yesterday to include temporary housing, repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses.

The change was announced by Gov. Linda Lingle on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

TO APPLY FOR HELP How to get federal assistance for earthquake damage: » Disaster Recovery Centers will be set up in communities Thursday at the earliest. » Call 800-621-FEMA. » Check www.fema.gov, go to "Apply for Assistance." Have your insurance information at hand.

Government and nonprofit agencies will be eligible for reimbursement of 75 percent of their costs, said FEMA representative Patrick Kidder.

Churches, such as the severely damaged Kalahikiola Congregational Church in North Kohala, could be included in the nonprofit category provided they fit into a FEMA financial equation, Kidder said.

"The answer only comes after the equation is done," he said.

Homeowners are more likely to be eligible for low-interest loans rather than outright grants under the increased benefits.

"It's not like there's a bunch of money they're going to hand out," said county Civil Defense Director Troy Kindred.

Big Island residents had mixed responses.

In Waimea, Ray Yamasaki, whose house moved three feet off its foundation, at first said, "This is great."

But he also expressed impatience that more help had not come sooner. "While we're waiting, what are we supposed to do? I'm so disgusted with government," he said.

Kindred said Thursday would probably be the earliest that FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers can be set up.

Kidder said homeowners and businesses can get the process moving sooner by telephone or Internet. Disaster victims may call 800-621-FEMA or go to www.fema.gov and look for "Apply for Assistance."

Applicants will be asked if their losses are covered by insurance, Kidder said. Since many people in Hawaii do not have earthquake insurance, they will then be handed over to the Small Business Administration for a business or home loan.

Only if they do not qualify for a loan will they be eligible for grants up to about $25,000.

In North Kohala, Marilyn Bernhardt, whose home was damaged, was focusing on self-reliance. Everyone should have an emergency bag ready with a flashlight, water and other essentials, ready to be carried out the door at a moment's notice, she said.

"I guess that's good," she said of the federal money.

Despite chaos in her house, including shattered windows and wall plaster, there was no structural damage, she said.

Federal money probably will not cover home contents, Kidder said.

"The catastrophe is more to your psyche," she said. A huge painting on her walls, covered with glass, went crashing onto marble floors, she said. She saw dishes coming off shelves and colliding in midair. A glass coffeepot "just exploded," she said.

She cut a hand on broken glass but, dripping blood around the house, could not find bandages in the mess.

Estimates are as high as $3 million to rebuild the Kalahikiola Congregational Church. The Rev. George Baybrook simply said, "Wow!" when told that FEMA might pay as much as 75 percent of the uninsured value of the church.

But Baybrook did not know if the church is incorporated as a nonprofit, and Kidder was not sure if the rules require such incorporation.

Waikoloa Elementary School was to open today -- the last Big Island school to reopen after the quakes.

The number of homes damaged remained unclear because the Red Cross does preliminary assessment and FEMA makes the final determination.

The latest Red Cross total, from Saturday, was 27 destroyed and 984 with major or minor damage. The FEMA number from Friday was 10 destroyed and 1,627 damaged.

ROAD CONDITIONS Update on state highways on the Big Island damaged by the Oct. 15 quakes: » Route 19 near mile marker No. 35 near Paauilo: One lane remains open, and a portable traffic light directs traffic. » Route 19 near mile marker No. 32 near Ookala: A bridge suffered minimal damage and will be repaired this week. Motorists are being allowed to cross the bridge. » Akoni Pule Highway near mile marker No. 5: Honokoa Bridge is damaged, and one lane is open for contra-flow traffic. » Akoni Pule Highway near mile marker No. 26 leading to Pololu Valley: One lane is open to local traffic only because of rockslides and cracks in the road. Source: State Department of Transportation