[16387] in APO-L
Disaster Info
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John R & Barbara R Anderson)
Sat Mar 8 05:50:42 1997
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 1997 05:54:34 -0500
Reply-To: John R & Barbara R Anderson <jbanderson@GREENAPPLE.COM>
From: John R & Barbara R Anderson <jbanderson@GREENAPPLE.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
Starting on February 28 and following, major rains caused major major
flooding along the Ohio river...16 counties (just in Ohio) were declared
disaster areas by President Clinton. Other states were also hit with
devastation.
As some of you know, my "8-5" employer is the state of Ohio's Bureau of
Employment Services. The department I oversee deals with various
unemployment compensation programs. One of these is known as DUA or
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (for you Fedophiles (Jerry) the "Stafford
Act"). In Ohio (as should be the case in other states), once a presidential
declaration of a major disaster is made, disaster related unemployed
individuals become eligible to apply for this DUA program.
There are some basic differences between DUA and regular unemployment
compensation or insurance. The big difference is coverage. Normally, self
employed individuals, store owners, and farmers are not eligible for regular
unemployment. They could be eligible for DUA. If you know of any of these
individuals, have them contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) for information at 1-800-462-9029.
DUA is not payable to individuals who may be eligible for regular unemployment.
As far as regular unemployment, any worker covered by regular unemployment
insurance who is unemployed or has suffered partial job loss because of the
flooding should contact both FEMA as well as their regular employment
security agency (OBES in Ohio). Under Ohio law, eligibilty is possible
under these conditions.
Finally, in Ohio, a private volunteer clearng house has been established
that the state is trying to use to coordinate volunteers as well as a source
for agency's to contact to list their needs (e.g., the Methodist church in
such a town needs bleach...) The phone number for the Volunteers in Ohio
Assisting in Disaster Situations is 1-888-356-6364. This is a new
organization so I cannot vouch for its effectiveness but FEMA and the Ohio
government are working with it so if you are looking to help, you might call
that number. (The Region 5 Director called and advised them that there
could possibly be a "few" college students available in the Ohio valley
willing to do whatever. VOADS is supposed to call her back)
Do not forget that you still have your local options to donate through such
as the Red Cross, Savation Army, etc. Remember that while some of my
information may be Ohio specific, please help wherever and however you can
through whatever resource may be available.
The news above on government programs is not a guarantee of eligibilty for
anyone but is only intended to be informational. The information comes from
me personally as a private citizen from public service announcements and
press releases and is not an offical announcement of the Ohio Bureau of
Employment Services or the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the VOADS
group.
I just thought I would pass this information along as there are an awful lot
of people in a awful lot of places who are in an awful lot of trouble today
and will be tomorrow and the next day and the next...
Thank you.
John R Anderson
